It turns out those pernicious rumors were true: “Grand Theft Auto 6” is not coming out this year.
On Friday, “GTA” maker Rockstar Games announced that the company now plans to release the game in May 2026. Shares of Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, tumbled by as much as 8% on Friday morning.
“Grand Theft Auto 6,” which has been years in the making, is one of the most anticipated games of all time. An early trailer for the game, released in 2023, broke the record for most views on YouTube by a non-music video in one day with more than 93 million, Variety reported at the time. It now has more than 251 million views and ranks second among video game trailers behind mobile game ‘Subway Surfers,’ which has more than 361 million views.
The game’s release will mark the first release of a main series “GTA” game since “Grand Theft Auto V” in 2013. The unusually long time between releases has even inspired a popular meme: “We got (insert long-awaited thing) before GTA 6.”
The Empire State Building even got in on the meme after Friday’s announcement.
In a statement, Rockstar said that the “interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team.”
“With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception,” the company said. “We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”
In March 2024, Kotaku reported that sources close to the game’s development said its release could “slip” into 2026 after reports of slowed progress and return-to-office mandates for Rockstar employees. This sparked speculation that Rockstar was behind schedule and trying to increase productivity.
In a Q3 earnings call in February, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said the company expected calendar year 2025 to be an “inflection point” for the company thanks to “Grand Theft Auto 6.”
“From the groundbreaking release of ‘Grand Theft Auto 6’ to the unmatched pipeline that 2K is set to deliver, as we introduce hit products to our passionate communities of fans, we’re confident that we’ll usher in a new period of growth and returns for our shareholders,” he said on that call.
When asked about how Take-Two plans to reactivate the player base for “GTA” after so much time, Zelnick said Rockstar “seeks perfection in everything they do.”
“We believe that if we do that right and we focus on delivering for consumers, that’s our best opportunity to succeed,” Zelnick told investors.
In a statement on Friday, Take-Two said it still expected to see “record levels of net bookings” in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, despite the “Grand Theft Auto 6” delay.
“We support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision for Grand Theft Auto VI, which promises to be a groundbreaking, blockbuster entertainment experience that exceeds audience expectations,” Zelnick said in the statement. “While we take the movement of our titles seriously and appreciate the vast and deep global anticipation for Grand Theft Auto VI, we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence.”
Some of Take-Two’s biggest releases still scheduled for 2025 include “Borderlands 4” and “Mafia: The Old Country,” which are sequels to popular game franchises.
