Grand Theft Auto VI Release Date Delayed To November 2026

Grand Theft Auto is one of the most successful franchises in the history of gaming, so it’s only natural that people are eager to see the newest entry. “Eager” is putting it mildly, however, due to the fact that it’s been 12 years since the series’ last entry and developer Rockstar’s most recent game, Red Dead Redemption 2, came out seven years ago. When the game’s second trailer dropped, it took the internet by storm, and currently has over 137 million views, but was accompanied by a delay into May 2026. Today we learned it would be delayed even further.

Grand Theft Auto VI is now launching November 19, 2026, according to Bloomberg, which got a look at publisher Take Two’s quarterly earnings report. The report included a statement about the delay, which Rockstar later put on their website. You can read it below.

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 deserve.

We want to thank you again for your patience and support. While the wait is a little longer, we are incredibly excited for players to experience the sprawling state of Leonida and a return to modern day Vice City.

Sincerely,
Rockstar Games

This delay ultimately pushes the game a full year past its original projected release date of fall 2025.

Rockstar has been in the news for other reasons this week. According to Bloomberg, after firing between 30 and 40 employees, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain accused the developer of union busting, claiming that all the employees involved in the incident were part of a private union Discord server. Rockstar has since claimed that the employees were fired for leaking confidential information, stating, “This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.” 

For more GTA VI, check out our breakdown of its characters and locations revealed in the game’s second trailer earlier this year.