Grand Theft Auto VI officially delayed to May 2026

The smart money was always on this happening rather than not happening, but it’s good to finally get official word from Rockstar: Grand Theft Auto VI, the much-awaited sequel to one of the most successful video games of all time, is now scheduled for release on May 26th, 2026. The title, as per Rockstar’s previous shareholder briefing, was supposed to be made available at some point during the third quarter of this year – but the very fact that it’s still more than twelve months away suggests it was not anywhere near to being ready for a 2025 September to November release after all.

Rockstar practically admitted as much in its announcement, too:

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.

Now, yours truly will always think a game being held off from release is the right call to make if its own developers think so. There are already too many AAA titles out there in a less than perfect state – that’s putting it charitably – and a game as eagerly awaited as GTA VI will need to be as close to flawless as such a complex and ambitious production can possibly be when it’s eventually released.

The simple truth is that a lot rides on this game meeting consumers’ expectations, even if those happen to be almost irrationally high. This may very well be the title that defines the PS5/XSX generation and it’s already been in development for a decade. It just has to deliver. If it needs more time to do so, it’s perfectly fine.

Granted, millions of gamers may be disappointed with Rockstar’s decision to keep GTA VI in the oven for a whole year, but many of us also hear a collective sigh of relief across the gaming industry today. Had it been released in the last four months of this year, this title would have created a black hole effect, monopolizing interest, sales and play hours for weeks or even months on end. Publishers can now go ahead with their plans on releasing their games in that once-radioactive timeframe, safe in the knowledge that they’ll only have the usual competition to face during the crucial Q4 of 2025. Not Rockstar’s behemoth.

Truth be told, May is a much more preferable month for everyone involved, including Rockstar. It’s a much less crowded month when it comes to new game releases, so GTA VI will (a) have at its disposal all the attention it deserves from consumers and the media, it will (b) get in the way of a considerably lower number of titles and it will (c) give all autumn 2026 games ample room to prepare for a proper, unhampered release.

As it is now unlikely that Grand Theft Auto VI will be delayed further, Rockstar and Take Two may feel ready to share more information about the game over the next few months – who knows, even the release of a second trailer in almost twenty months after the game’s announcement is not out of the question now. Right?