Earlier this week, we covered a rumor that certain developers at Rockstar Games had said a delay to Grand Theft Auto 6 was on the table. Another Rockstar insider didn’t flat-out deny this, and the same source of the delay rumor later said all the discussion was a “nothing burger”. Alas, Take-Two Interactive’s latest earnings call just came and went, and we finally got our first bit of official GTA 6 news in months - except Rockstar’s latest statement regarding GTA 6 was the last thing anyone ever hoped for.
After being delayed from late 2025 to May 26, 2026, many had hoped that Rockstar would stick to their word. Everything from how awesome the second trailer looked on the base PlayStation 5 to the job listings all hinted that a delay wasn’t happening - then everything came tumbling down this week. Just days after Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser shared his thoughts about Grand Theft Auto 4 and what makes Grand Theft Auto special, the unfortunate happened, and GTA 6 is delayed once again.
Whether this had something to do with the firing and subsequent protests or it’s just Rockstar’s penchant for “seeking perfection” at play - or even a combination thereof - the fact of the matter is that GTA 6 will now be released on November 19, 2026, roughly a year after its original release window and six months later than its first “real” release date.
Of course, any GTA fan will tell you that this isn’t new. If anything, it’s on brand with Rockstar’s usual MO.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has done a mighty fine job looking for another way to phrase his confidence in Rockstar’s promised release date. No doubt he’ll pull off the same dance again. That’s his job. But at the same time, he has said something along the lines of not having a say when GTA 6 will really be coming out.
As per Reece “Kiwi Talkz” Reilly in a follow-up statement on X, he received “conflicting reports” about the delay, and he speculates that some developers were “literally in the dark” about GTA 6 ’s new release date.
What we’re really trying to say here is this is just Rockstar being Rockstar. As harsh as it may sound, the truth is that GTA 6 will be released when Rockstar, particularly the higher-ups, want. It won’t be any sooner or any later. The timing will be perfect because that’s when Rockstar believes the product will be ready. Will it be November 19, 2026? Maybe, maybe not. Who’s to say?
TLDR: GTA 6 moving to November 2026 confirms what we’ve always known about Rockstar for a long time - they'll delay as many times as needed to meet their own standards, regardless of awards won and promises made. However, Rockstar isn’t immune to having to do damage control with all that’s happening right now. Between the ongoing situation regarding the fired employees within Rockstar and Take-Two’s plummeting stock price, and the delay, we’re bound to get something good.
While the holidays might not have come early for GTA 6 hopefuls, all hope is not lost, as all this commotion means we might get a third trailer, a new remaster announcement (or two), and a hefty update to Grand Theft Auto Online before the year ends.
