Rockstar delays GTA VI again, pushing release to November 2026

Rockstar Games has once again postponed the release of Grand Theft Auto VI, extending an already prolonged wait for what is arguably the most anticipated video game of the decade. Originally set for a 2025 launch, the title has now been pushed back to 19 November 2026, marking its second major delay within a year.

The announcement came on Thursday, when developer Rockstar Games confirmed the new release date on social media, saying, “We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realise has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve.”

Hi everyone,

Grand Theft Auto VI will now release on Thursday, November 19, 2026.

We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and… pic.twitter.com/yLX9KIiDzX

— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 6, 2025

This delay follows a pattern of extended development cycles that has come to define Rockstar’s approach in recent years. The company had first revealed GTA VI in December 2023 with a promise of a Fall 2025 release window. In May 2025, parent company Take-Two Interactive shifted that date to May 2026, citing the need for more development and testing. Six months later, fans are now looking at a further six-month extension.

The stakes are enormous. It has been more than 13 years since the last mainline entry, Grand Theft Auto V, launched in September 2013, making this the longest gap between instalments in the franchise’s history. That game went on to become the second best-selling video game of all time, selling over 220 million units and generating more than 8 billion dollars in revenue, according to Take-Two.

For millions of fans around the world, GTA is not merely a video game franchise; it is a cultural milestone. Known for its sprawling open worlds, biting satire of American life, and cinematic storytelling, the series has defined an era of gaming and influenced countless titles that followed. The next chapter, set in the fictional state of Leonida, promises to return players to Vice City, a neon-drenched metropolis last seen in the 2002 classic. Players will reportedly follow the story of criminal duo Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, navigating the city’s underbelly in a narrative that marks the franchise’s first dual-protagonist setup featuring a woman in a lead role.

Industry analysts suggest that Rockstar’s perfectionist tendencies may once again prove worth the wait. The studio’s reputation for detail and polish has consistently set benchmarks in open-world design. GTA V itself was delayed multiple times before launch, yet went on to redefine what large-scale, immersive storytelling could achieve in gaming.

Still, frustration among fans is palpable. Each delay rekindles the same mixture of disappointment and reluctant patience that has accompanied GTA VI’s development cycle for years. Yet, if history is any indication, Rockstar’s insistence on taking its time often leads to results that justify the wait.