'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
GTA 6 is scheduled to be released over a decade after its predecessor. Because of this, many believe that the game is taking a long time to develop. However, after a recent report by La Vanguardia, Donkey Kong Bananza seems to be in a development cycle longer than Grand Theft Auto 6. We now have solid details about both games' development cycles, shared by the officials.
This article explains what the developers of GTA 6 and Donkey Kong Bananza have to say regarding the respective games’ development.
Rockstar started working on GTA 6 after Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza
Trending
Donkey Kong Bananza’s producer, Kenta Motokura, recently took part in an exclusive interview with La Vanguardia, where he was asked about the game’s development cycle, especially when its production began. The official answered:
“Although I can't give you very precise details, I can tell you that we started developing it after finishing Super Mario Odyssey.”
Readers should note that Super Mario Odyssey was released in October 2017. Therefore, Donkey Kong Bananza’s development might have started after that.
Also read: GTA 4 remaster on PS4: 5 improvements we'd love to see if it happens
On the other hand, GTA 6’s development process reportedly started three years after that. In its last Earnings Conference Call meeting in May 2025, Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar Games’ parent company) revealed that the upcoming game’s development started in 2020.
The exact statement was as follows:
“Grand Theft Auto VI began development in earnest in 2020 following the massive success of Red Dead Redemption 2, and the title is now the most anticipated entertainment property of all time.”
The GTA 6 release date is scheduled for May 2026, and it will take six years to develop the highly anticipated game.
Also read: Why GTA 6 fans are convinced that Manni L. Perez is likely Lucia
However, one thing to notice in Take-Two Interactive’s statement is that it said “in earnest” before stating the year. This means work related to the game might have started earlier, but the serious development cycle started in 2020.
It is also worth noting that Rockstar Games released Red Dead Redemption 2 in October 2018, which was also a big project for the studio.
Grand Theft Auto 6 might be one of the video games that is taking a long time to release, but it is certainly not the longest in-development game, at least for now. However, if Rockstar Games decides to delay the release of GTA 6 again, it could join that category as well.
Check other Grand Theft Auto 6 articles:
- Fan recreates Ocean Drive scene in Far Cry 5 Arcade
- Rockstar may be gearing up the marketing push, suggest fans
- 5 crazy details we expect Rockstar to add
- Wishlist finally opens on Xbox Series X/S
- 5 types of world events that could actually be in the game
- 5 Easter eggs that might be in the game
- 10 wild fan theories that could be true
- 3 major combat improvements over GTA 5 that we want to see
- 10 wild predictions that just might happen
- Will Trevor, Franklin, and Michael return? Possibilities explored
