What Rockstar Games said about GTA 6 release date delay, explained

Rockstar Games recently revealed that the GTA 6 release date has been delayed. The highly anticipated game was supposed to come out later this year. But it has been announced that the game will be released only in May 2026. The gaming studio shared an official newswire announcing the delay and explaining why.

More details about the Grand Theft Auto 6 release date delay are mentioned below.

Rockstar needs more development time before the GTA 6 release date

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While Rockstar Games finally shared the GTA 6 release date, it was not good news for the fans. The official newswire post on May 2, 2025, started with the line announcing the game’s delay:

“Grand Theft Auto VI is now set to release on May 26, 2026.”

Also read: Shroud issues 3-word response to GTA 6 release date being officially delayed

It's been nearly 12 years since the release of GTA 5. And now, GTA 6 will be released 13 years after its predecessor. Apologizing to the fans, Rockstar stated:

“We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team.”

Fans were excited for the GTA 6 2025 release and were eagerly expecting new details. While the latter arrived, it came with a setback. Explaining more about the GTA 6 delay, Rockstar Games said:

“With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”

It is now official that the developer needs more time to fine-tune the game and provide a refined experience. In its current state, the game is not ready to be released in Fall 2025.

The newswire also stated it would share more information about the upcoming game soon. Now, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S users must wait over a year for GTA 6 to release.

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About the author

Mridul completed his post-graduation in Mass Communication, Journalism, and Media Studies. His career as a journalist began at Sportskeeda, and he has been associated with the Esports & Gaming division for over 1.5 years. He has produced 1600+ articles on Grand Theft Auto, his favorite gaming franchise of all time.

Mridul writes detailed and well-researched articles, relying solely on official sources and reputable insiders for credible information. His immense love for the GTA series shines through in his work, which resonates with readers, with five of his articles having crossed the 100,000 reads mark each. Overall, his reads count stands at close to 8 million.

GTA: Vice City served as Mridul's introduction to Rockstar Games, and he has dedicatedly made his way through the publisher's catalog since then. If given a chance, he would love to drop into the world of Bully and relive his school days. However, he would like to recommend Grand Theft Auto 4 to beginners due to the depth of its narrative and in-game mechanics.

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Edited by Adarsh J Kumar