Rockstar Games has announced that their highly anticipated next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto VI, will be released on May 26, 2026. It was initially slated for sometime in the fall of this year. In a Statement, Rockstar Games apologized for this delay, which is pretty significant given the status of the title, to many, as possibly the most important entertainment release of all time.
Rockstar Games Stated in a post via X:
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. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game.
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.
While the statement finally gives a specific release date to the game, it was not accompanied by any new information, such as screenshots or a trailer. The second trailer for the game has been highly sought after by many, with several rumors placing its release in April, which, of course, has now turned out to not be the case.
In a note to the investment community, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Rockstar, made clear he supported this delay out of the 2026 fiscal year into the 2027 one. He stated:
We support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision for Grand Theft Auto VI, which promises to be a groundbreaking, blockbuster entertainment experience that exceeds audience expectations.
While we take the movement of our titles seriously and appreciate the vast and deep global anticipation for Grand Theft Auto VI, we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence. As we continue to release our phenomenal pipeline, we expect to deliver a multi-year period of growth in our business and enhanced value for our shareholders.
This delay, while most likely upsetting fans, opens up the year for other developers. Take Two, the parent company for Rockstar, for instance, has both Mafia: The Old Country and Borderlands 4 that seemed like they would release very close together, avoiding that fall timeframe. Releasing in that period was PlayStation’s Ghost of Yotei, which looks to be popular, but easily could have seen a drop in sales in direct competition with Grand Theft Auto IV. The upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2 is also expected to benefit from a delay like this. The biggest thing this does, however, is free up the Game of the Year field later this year for critically acclaimed titles like Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 and Split Fiction to be genuine contenders for the title rather than be overlooked in the run-up by such a massive release.
Initially, the sheer magnitude of a release like Grand Theft Auto VI saw developers and publishers alike actively avoid the fall timeframe, a usually busy time for games, in hopes of not competing directly. This saw some developers push their game forward to the summer, or even delay it into next year. With this delay, we could see more reshuffling to their release strategy as developers now attempt to plan around releasing Near May of next year.
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