Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed until November 19, 2026.
This news was announced today by Rockstar as a part of Take-Two's second quarter earnings. In a release shared with IGN, Take-Two shared that the delay was "giving the team some additional time to finish the game with the high level of polish players expect and deserve. Rockstar has our full support of course, and we are confident they will deliver an unrivalled blockbuster entertainment experience."
Grand Theft Auto VI was originally announced for a fall 2025 release, which CEO Strauss Zelnick said he felt confident in even amid speculation of a delay. The game was then delayed to May of 2026, with Rockstar citing a need for extra time to "to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve."
In a conversation with Zelnick ahead of the announcement, IGN asked him what had changed in the year since he first said he felt confident in the Fall 2025 date. Zelnick replied, "It’s- it's all of 2025. We’ve had more time to develop the title. And so we are getting closer to the release. We are grateful that it is still within the same fiscal year. And mostly we’re grateful to Rockstar for constantly seeking perfection."
While most fans are prepared to wait patiently for GTA 6 regardless of when it drops, some fans are taking the news a little bit hard:
On a call with investors today, Zelnick also said players shouldn't expect any changes to the cadence of updates to GTA Online due to GTA 6's delay.
Just last week, Take-Two fired dozens of employees, alleging "gross misconduct" and, later, leaking "confidential information in a public forum." However, those employees claim they were instead fired for participating in online chats about organizing a union. The group and supporters protested in front of Rockstar North and Take-Two's UK offices today.
Take-Two reported net bookings of $1.96 billion in the best second quarter in company history thanks to the releases of NBA 2K26, Mafia: The Old Country, and Borderlands 4. NBA 2K26 has sold five million units since launch. GTA V continues to sell, having reached over 220 million units.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.