Rockstar Games is delaying GTA 6's release to May 26, 2026.

We've got good news and bad news about Grand Theft Auto 6 and its long-unconfirmed release date. The good news is that Rockstar Games has finally confirmed when the game is coming out. The bad news is that GTA 6 has been delayed to 2026.

In what will just be Rockstar's second official statement regarding GTA 6 since releasing the first trailer, Rockstar confirmed that it needs more time to work on the next game in the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

As a result, GTA 6 will now release on May 26, 2026. According to Rockstar, the studio will use the additional time to "deliver at the level of quality fans expect and deserve."

The entire gaming industry has spent the better part of the past two years speculating about when GTA 6 will be available to play.

Over the past few months, in particular, industry analysts and executives have shared their sentiments and insider knowledge about GTA 6's impact on the industry. Some are claiming that other developers are scrambling to get away from GTA 6 , the so-called "king" and a de-facto GOTY candidate. Meanwhile, others believe that its release will benefit the entire gaming industry.

However, no one's words carried more weight than Take-Two Interactive, particularly the company's CEO, Strauss Zelnick.

Back in February, Zelnick confirmed that GTA 6 is still set for Fall 2025. Then, later, Zelnick revealed that Take-Two is trying out a new strategy by keeping marketing cycles short and closer to a game's release.

This, of course, was rendered moot after Gearbox Entertainment decided to release Borderlands 4 on September 12, two weeks earlier than its original launch date. The game also got its own State of Play showcase to end April, a little over a week before Mafia: The Old Country is set to take the stage at PAX East on May 8 ahead of its August release.

With that said, the onus is now on Take-Two to try and reassure investors that the company will still meet its promised financial projections for the current fiscal year.

Who knows? Maybe this delay will finally force Rockstar to release a remaster of Grand Theft Auto IV and a next-gen patch for Red Dead Redemption 2.