Rockstar Games reportedly expected GTA 6 delay long before official 2026 release date—What we know

Rockstar Games reportedly anticipated the delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) well before officially announcing the new release date of May 26, 2026, according to a recent report in Dexerto.

The sequel was earlier scheduled to be released on consoles this year. According to the company, it needs the additional time to ensure that the game meets the high-quality standards as anticipated by the fans.

Ever since Rockstar Games released the first trailer for GTA 6 in December 2023, gamers have been patiently waiting for the game to arrive in the market. The trailer confirmed 2025 as the game’s release date.

The company shared the news on its social media handles about the new release date on May 2, 2025. Journalist Jason Schreier, who primarily assesses the video game industry, indicated that the studio had long doubted meeting that timeline due to the project's massive scale. Here is what we know.

Did Rockstar Games expect a delay in the release of GTA 6?

According to the Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, the delay was widely expected within Rockstar Games for a long time. He took to Blue Sky and wrote:

“Nobody I’ve talked to at Rockstar has believed Fall 2025 was a real window for a very long time now. Too much work, not enough time, and what appears to be a real desire from management to avoid brutal crunch. GTA VI slipping to 2026 has seemed inevitable for months if not longer.”

When a user expressed his skepticism, noting that the delay was a result of a desire to avoid the crunch. He replied:

“Skepticism is always healthy, but I’ve been keeping tabs on this for years. They certainly haven’t eliminated *all* overtime but everyone I’ve talked to at Rockstar says it’s night and day from previous projects.”

The news has come as a huge disappointment for the fans, who were initially excited for the launch of GTA 6. Here is how they have reacted.

Fans react to the news of delay in the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6)

Fans and gamers who were awaiting the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) this September expressed a wide range of reactions. Mostly they were disappointed, as they have been waiting since GTA V’s release in 2013.

“If you are gonna delay it, at least give us some screenshots. This marketing strategy may be working for you, but it is painful for the fans.” A user on X wrote.

“I speak for everyone when I say, keep the game we don’t want it anymore” Another chimed in.

“Rockstar Games, you guys are taking all the hype away from this game. Now that you confirmed a 2025 release 3 times already, we are even more disappointed.” One user wrote.

While others expressed their support for Rockstar Games, as they believed in the company and their willingness to achieve high quality in games such as Red Dead Redemption 2.

“Sounds like they are reworking the story, removing the WOKE, and getting back to their roots. The winds have changed and they are doing the right thing to make sure the game exceeds expectations” A user noted.

More chimed in saying that they don't mind waiting as long as the game is perfect.

“I speak for EVERYONE when I say we’ll wait however long Rockstar delay it until 2027 if you have to! you can’t rush perfection” Another wrote.

“Hey we waited 12 years, we can wait a few more months. Most important thing is that the game is good at this point” One more user said.

Today, GTA stands as one of the most successful video game franchises in history. As of February 2025, GTA V has sold over 210 million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling single titles ever, according to Statista.

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