The Grand Theft Auto 6 release date has finally been confirmed by Rockstar – but it’s not good news as fans will have to wait another year to play it.
- READ MORE: The best games to play while you wait for ‘Grand Theft Auto 6’
Grand Theft Auto 6 was officially revealed at the end of 2023 and given a vague release window of 2025.
Earlier this year, Take Two boss Strauss Zelnick said he was feeling “good” about GTA 6 coming out in autumn 2025 despite rumours of a delay. He also promised the game would be “worth waiting for”.
However Rockstar Games has now confirmed GTA 6 will be released in May 2026. The news came via a brief statement shared on social media.
“Hi everyone, Grand Theft Auto 6 is now set to release on May 26, 2026. We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game.”
“With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and GTA 6 is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve,” they added. “We look forward to sharing more information with you soon. Sincerely, Rockstar Games.”
Grand Theft Auto VI is now set to release on May 26, 2026. https://t.co/YgaIn1cYc8 pic.twitter.com/cyeK7GM6Ob
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) May 2, 2025
Earlier this week it was announced that Borderlands 4, another game published by Take-Two, would be releasing early with many hopeful Grand Theft Auto fans assuming that meant 6 would be coming this September.
However Borderlands boss Randy Pitchford did try to squash the rumours. “Borderlands 4 shipping early is 100 per cent the result of confidence in the game and development trajectory backed by actual tasks and bug find/fix rates,” he wrote on X. “Our decision is literally 0 per cent about any other product’s actual or theoretical launch date.”
According to reports, Grand Theft Auto 6‘s unknown release window was causing a number of rival studios to delay announcing their new games due to worries about clashes. EA boss Andrew Wilson confirmed the long-awaited follow-up to 2021’s Battlefield 2042 might be delayed due to “some things happening in the year” that may cause publishers to “think differently” about their launch timing.
In other news, Tony Hawk has announced details of a special one-day music festival to celebrate the release of Pro Skater 3+4.
The post ‘Grand Theft Auto 6’ has been delayed to 2026 appeared first on NME.