So it’s not even 2026 and Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed a second time, shifting from May 26th to November 19th next year. Rockstar said the time would allow for more polish, and publisher Take-Two Interactive wants to facilitate that. If it’s any consolation, CEO Strauss Zelnick told IGN that he’s “highly confident” that this is the final delay.
“We wanted to give Rockstar the appropriate amount of time to polish the title and make sure it can be the very best it can be.”
Zelnick also noted how games that had more time for polish would prove why it was so “well-spent.” Meanwhile, “competitors” who went ahead with their launches before “something was ready” would see “bad things happen.”
“At the same time, there have been limited circumstances where more time was required to polish a title and make sure that it was spectacular, and that time has been well-spent. When our competitors go to market before something was ready, bad things happen. That said, I’m highly confident in the new date.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time Zelnick strongly believed in a release window for the open-world epic – see May 2024 when he was “highly confident” of a Fall 2025 launch. It was followed by a “very, very high level of conviction” about the May 2026 window, and you’ve seen how that turned out.
Regardless, this reinforces once more that nothing is guaranteed in game development. Plans can and do change all the time, and not everyone gets additional time. Time will tell if Rockstar makes the most of it, so stay tuned.
