"Longest development period for a videogame?": Guinness World Records reacts to GTA 6 delay announcement

Rockstar Games' GTA 6 delay announcement seems to have taken the internet by storm. Not only have gamers been expressing their disappointment over it, but even Guinness World Records has reacted to the news on X, comparing the Grand Theft Auto title to 3D Realms' Duke Nukem Forever, which currently holds the world record for the longest development period for a video game. For those wondering, the 3D Realms title took a little over 14 years to come out after being announced.

The upcoming GTA installment, on the other hand, which is arguably the most anticipated video game of all time, will now release in May 2026 instead of Fall 2025. This puts its launch over 12 years since the series' last entry, and almost four years after the official announcement.

Guinness World Records refers to Duke Nukem Forever while reacting to the GTA 6 delay announcement

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Here's what Guinness World Records said while responding to the GTA 6 release date delay announcement on X:

"Longest development period for a videogame? 14 years and 43 days😩 Officially announced on 28 April 1997 by developer 3D Realms, the FPS 'Duke Nukem Forever' was finally released on 10 June 2011."

It was back in February 2022 that Rockstar Games officially confirmed that the development of Grand Theft Auto 6 was underway. In December 2023, the developer released its first trailer and announced 2025 as its release year. Sadly, that is no longer the case, as the GTA 6 delay announcement has now marked May 26, 2026, as its release date.

This means that the game will be launched after a little over four years of being officially announced, and over 12 years since Grand Theft Auto 5's launch. Nevertheless, that won't beat Duke Nukem Forever's record of a 14 year and 43 day-gap between announcement and release.

Popular Twitch streamer Shroud reacted to the GTA 6 delay announcement as well, wondering if Rockstar Games had been hacked.

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The CEO of Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, also commented on the GTA 6 delay announcement, supporting the studio's decision to take more time to develop its next release.

Check out: Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick comments on GTA 6 delay by Rockstar Games

With Grand Theft Auto 6's release postponed by another year, it might be a long time before we can expect to see more of it via additional trailers and screenshots.

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About the author

Suyash is an Esports and Gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in Rockstar Games' GTA franchise. Suyash uses in-depth research and knowledge of his immense experience with the game series to ensure readers have access to the most reliable information. His insightful content pieces have raked in more than 5 million views in just a little over a year's time.

Suyash holds a B.Tech degree and ventured into the world of gaming at a young age through the Prince of Persia Sands of Time trilogy. However, upon encountering GTA Vice City’s 1980s aesthetic, music, and vintage cars, he became enamored with the game, leading him to explore the rest of the franchise.

Suyash prefers solo titles to multiplayer, especially ones with a well-crafted story and character arcs. He admires journalist Jason Schreier for the respect he commands in the industry and the reliability of his news pieces. To ensure the accuracy of his own pieces, he checks multiple reputable sources and insiders.

If he were to recommend a game to a skeptic, it would be Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. When he’s not roaming the streets of Los Santos in GTA V, you can find him playing football, watching movies, or working out.

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Edited by Arundhoti Palit