Rockstar Delays Blockbuster GTA VI Until Late 2026

According to a recent announcement from Rockstar Games, the highly anticipated sequel Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed once again, this time from its original May 2025 release date to November 2026. The game, which has been in development since 2018, was originally expected to launch in late 2025, but Rockstar has now pushed back the release by over a year.

In their statement, Rockstar cited the need for additional time to finish the game with the "level of polish" that fans have come to expect. The delay comes as a disappointment to many, as it means players will have to wait over 15 years since the release of the previous Grand Theft Auto title, GTA V, which launched in 2013.

The game, set in Rockstar's sun-bleached version of Miami and the wider Florida-like state of Leonida, will star a pair of romantically entwined criminals named Jason and Lucia. Rockstar North in Edinburgh has been leading the development, with assistance from the company's other studios around the world.

Despite the delay, industry analysts remain hopeful that GTA VI will help revive the gaming market, which has seen a contraction after a COVID-era boom. Rockstar's previous blockbuster, Red Dead Redemption 2, generated $725 million in sales over its opening weekend in 2018, and its predecessor, GTA V, has earned an astounding $8.6 billion since its 2013 release.