GTA 6 Release Delayed to 2026: How the Industry Reacted and What Fans of the Series Think

On May 2, it became known that GTA 6 will not be released in 2025. The game will appear on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series on May 26, 2026. Of course, this event caused a strong reaction from the potential audience. In this article, we have collected all the most interesting things related to the postponement of the sixth Grand Theft Auto, from official statements to funny memes.

The first and so far only trailer for GTA 5 was released on December 5, 2023.

At the end of the video, it was stated that the game would be released in 2025. Later, they clarified that they were talking about October. At the same time, the release date was highly questionable. According to Bloomberg columnist and well-known insider Jason Schreier, even Rockstar employees themselves did not believe that the project would hit store shelves in 2025:

“No one I spoke to at Rockstar believed that fall 2025 was a realistic window for a long time. Too much work, not enough time, and, it seems, a genuine desire on the part of management to avoid a severe crisis. The shift in the release of GTA 6 to 2026 seemed inevitable for several months, if not longer.”

But the words of insiders and official statements from the publisher are different things. In theory, the studio could have been forced to release the game at any cost, and only then refine it with patches. However, Rockstar went the other way.

The news that the sixth Grand Theft Auto will be released in May 2026 appeared on the official Rockstar page. It says the following:

“Grand Theft Auto 6 is scheduled to be released on May 26, 2026.

We are very sorry that this is not the date you expected. The excitement and interest that the new Grand Theft Auto is generating is truly inspiring for our entire team. Thank you for your support and patience as we continue to work on the game.

With each of our projects, we strive to exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto 6 will be no exception. We hope you understand that we need additional time to reach the level of quality that you expect and deserve.

We will share more information with you very soon."

At the same time, on the main page of the site, under the art with GTA 5, there is still the inscription Coming 2025 ("coming out in 2025"). Apparently, it has not been changed yet.

Note that May 26 is the day of Bonnie and Clyde's funeral. Perhaps Rockstar chose this date for a reason.

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, which includes Rockstar, said he accepted the developers' position:

"We fully support Rockstar Games' decision to take more time to realize its creative vision for Grand Theft Auto 6. It promises to be a revolutionary and highly successful entertainment experience that exceeds audience expectations.

While we take our game release schedule seriously and recognize the high anticipation for GTA 6, our steadfast commitment to excellence remains unchanged. We look forward to driving growth across our business and creating additional value for our shareholders."

However, immediately after the news of the game's delay, Take-Two Interactive shares fell by 16%, from $235.17 to $216.02. At the time of writing, they have risen slightly, and are now worth $219.49. Moreover, the release of GTA 6 will probably cause a sharp increase in the value of the company's shares.

Former Rockstar technical director Obbe Vermeij, who worked at the company from 1995 to 2009, also commented on the release postponement:

"The good news is that the developers are clearly confident that they will complete all the work by May. Otherwise, they would not have named a specific date. I remember when we made such a decision for GTA 4. It is a difficult choice. No one wants to disappoint the fans. A second trailer would have sweetened the pill. But the main thing is that Grand Theft Auto 6 will not be postponed anymore."

Earlier, there was an opinion that other gaming companies were waiting for information about the game's postponement because they did not want to release their projects at the same time as Grand Theft Auto 6. Perhaps this is why Borderlands 4 will be released earlier than originally planned — the release was moved from September 23 to September 12.

Here's what Serkan Toto, CEO of Japanese consulting company Kantan Games, says:

"Studios that planned to release their games in the second half of 2025 are probably breathing a sigh of relief: there is no longer a danger of GTA 6 displacing all the oxygen in the room. Now Nintendo has six months to prepare and market a potentially huge Switch 2 launch lineup, Sony can safely ship Ghost of Yotei to store shelves, and Microsoft has more spaceand for the potential release of an Xbox portable.”

Joost van Dreunen, host of the SuperJoost Playlist, weighed in:

“Without GTA 6 sucking all the air out of the room, Q4 2025 is a quieter time for everyone else. Big publishers like EA, Ubisoft, and Sony now have a chance to get their games noticed during this period. At the same time, they won’t be able to join the hype that GTA 6 will generate. Instead, they’ll have to go it alone, which is harder and more expensive in a market where attention is fragmented and consumer enthusiasm is lower than usual.

The delay isn’t a failure. Rockstar is doing what it always does — waiting for the perfect moment. Grand Theft Auto 6 is now set for May 2026, giving it a larger installed base, less competition, and full control over the narrative. This is how GTA 5 managed to achieve success in its time."

There were also opinions that Sony and Microsoft are waiting for the release of the sixth GTA as the main reason to buy their consoles. Let us remind you that the release of the PC version will take place later. Therefore, some journalists believe that for platform holders, the transfer of the game is a real disaster.

A similar thought is expressed by gaming industry analyst Matt Piscaletta:

"The sixth GTA is a game that would bring players back to consoles and become a driver of additional hardware sales. In addition, if successful, it would provide growth for the industry and, perhaps, even revive investor interest in this segment. I don't think anyone will benefit from GTA 6 being delayed."

As a reaction from fans of the Grand Theft Auto series, we decided to collect memes that describe the situation with the release being delayed to May 2026.

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Editorial LibertyCity is made up of fans of the GTA series, and the author of these lines is no exception. Meanwhile, we took the postponement of the release date of the sixth part with relief. If something goes wrong with the game, Rockstar will not have a second chance. Spending several years fixing bugs, as was the case with the remaster of the 3D trilogy, will no longer work — the project must be flawless at release. It is better to wait another six months than to get a raw game. Besides, 2025 turned out to be rich in high-profile releases.

What do you think about the postponement of the release of Grand Theft Auto 6? Share your opinions in the comments!