Grand Theft Auto 6 has been pushed back yet again, now arriving on November 19, 2026. That's the second delay for the most anticipated game in years, and it puts the release more than a year away from today.
During the latest investor call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick explained that Rockstar Games needs more time to polish the game to meet player expectations, something he's said before. The delay follows a familiar pattern for the studio as GTA 6 was originally slated for fall this year, then moved to May 2026, and now lands in late 2026.
Zelnick told IGN he's highly confident this is the final date, though he acknowledged that Take-Two has occasionally needed extra time in the past. He emphasized that delaying a game to get it right has never been something the company regretted, and took a shot at competitors who've released games before they were ready.
"I'm highly confident and at the same time, there have been limited circumstances where more time was required to polish a title and make sure that it was spectacular and that time has been well-spent, when our competitors go to market before something was ready, bad things happen. That said, that said, I’m highly confident on the new date."
When pressed on what changed since he previously expressed confidence in the fall 2025 window, Zelnick kept it vague, saying the team simply had more time to develop the title throughout 2025 and praised Rockstar for constantly seeking perfection.
"It’s- it's all of 2025. We’ve had more time to develop the title. And so we are getting closer to the release. We are grateful that it is still within the same fiscal year. And mostly we’re grateful to Rockstar for constantly seeking perfection."
The delay doesn't affect GTA Online, which will continue receiving updates at the same pace. Meanwhile, GTA V keeps being the golden goose, having now sold over 220 million copies lifetime. This was also Take-Two's best second quarter ever with nearly $2 billion in net bookings.
