GTA 6 Release Delayed to 2026, According to Rumor

According to a new rumor, the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) has been pushed back to 2026.

This news comes from Liam of GTA Base, who previously leaked the timing of the GTA 6 reveal trailer well before it was officially announced.

According to him, several developers from two Rockstar Games studios have shared that the game needed more time for “perfection“, pushing the release date to early or mid-2026.

As of now, Rockstar Games has officially shared a release window of Q3 or Q4 of 2025, but this new information suggests internal discussions about delaying the launch.

Back in June, media outlet Kotaku had also reported similar concerns, noting that production on GTA 6 was falling behind schedule. They said that the leadership at Rockstar is reportedly worried about missing their initial target of a Spring 2025 release, which could lead to a delay until late 2025 or even 2026. While the company still aims for an early 2025 release, Kotaku’s sources suggest that a Fall 2025 launch is more likely. The possibility of a 2026 delay is seen as a backup plan in case further issues arise.

However, many reporters like Insider Gaming later denied these reports saying that the game’s development was progressing as planned.

Before that, back in May, in an interview with CNBC, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick also expressed confidence in the original Fall 2025 release window. He emphasized Rockstar’s commitment to delivering “perfection”, which remains a key focus for the development team.

Adding to the speculation, there are rumors that GTA 6 might be launched alongside the release of the PlayStation 5 Pro. Some believe the two could be released together to boost hardware sales, while others think the upgraded console could come out first, with GTA 6 following later.

One concern about a potential delay is the risk of extended “crunch” periods, where developers face excessive overtime to meet deadlines. Rockstar Games has been criticized for this practice in the past, particularly during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2, when employees reportedly worked 100-hour weeks.

EXCLUSIVE: GTA VI has been internally delayed by Rockstar Games and they’re already decided on the early to mid 2026 release window.

PC is planned for around 12 – 18 months after the console launch.

This information comes from multiple devs across two studios. pic.twitter.com/VzwbDMLpe1

— Liam (@billsyliamgta) September 7, 2024

While some of these rumors come from trusted sources, it’s important to approach all unofficial information with caution. I’m covering all GTA 6-related news here so subscribe to Gaming Foodle and stay updated!