Grand Theft Auto VI release delayed
Take-Two Interactive pushed the release of the blockbuster title to May 2026 on Friday.
The video game was previously expected to be released in autumn this year and is expected to be an instant hit with billions in sales every year, according to analysts.
Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, is one of the best-selling video games of all time, selling more than 200 million copies since its release in 2013.
"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," said developer Rockstar Games in a statement posted on social media.
"We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve."
After the announcement, publisher Take-Two's share prices tumbled by 9%.
"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," said Take-Two chief executive Strauss Zelnick.
6:11
Rockstar Games first unveiled the trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI in December 2023, set to Tom Petty's Love Is a Long Road.
The video was watched more than 100 million times in 24 hours.
It confirmed the game's return to Vice City and introduced the game's first female lead, Lucia, hinting at a modern-day Bonnie-and-Clyde duo.
GTA VI was expected to drive growth in the video game industry this year after a troubling period.
Rising production costs and growing expectations around games mean many titles have been delayed, causing financial problems for studios and frustration for players.
During the pandemic, when millions more people began playing video games, studio sizes swelled.
Once the lockdowns ended, however, demand dropped and the industry now faces an employment crisis with redundancies at studios around Britain and the world.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
GTA 6's biggest rival is GTA 5 says analyst: 'It's wild times'
An analyst has discussed the modern gaming landscape and how it could affect GTA 6, as the same handful of titles continue to dominate. GTA 6 is guaranteed to be the biggest game of the year when it launches on May 26, 2026, but the big question is how successful will it be in the long term? If it follows the same path as GTA 5, the sequel could become the most financially successful entertainment product of all time. Despite coming out 12 years ago, GTA 5 (and specifically GTA Online) is still one of the most played games in terms of weekly active users, alongside the likes of Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, and Call Of Duty. The ongoing nature of GTA 5 is reflective of the current gaming landscape, where a small handful of juggernauts are swallowing up all the attention, to the point where GTA 6's biggest competitor is its own predecessor. Speaking in an interview with industry analyst Mat Piscatella highlighted the problems developer Rockstar Games faces. 'You look at something like Fortnite,' Piscatella said. 'It's been, what, seven, eight years now that that thing's been the biggest thing in the world. Or Minecraft. And GTA 5 launched in 2013. It's still one of the top 20 best-selling games every single month. 'The biggest competitor to GTA 6 will be GTA 5. It's wild times to be trying to make new video games.' Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. While the outlook might be bleak for developers trying to make new games outside of existing IP, former Sony Interactive Entertainment president Shawn Layden highlighted the recent success of double-A titles, like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, as a reason to be optimistic. 'I think the future is going to be a wider variety of games,' Layden told the outlet. 'I'm not worried about the future.' However, Piscatella makes a more alarming prediction, suggesting that the free-to-play model might become the 'baseline' for the industry in the decades to come, based on the habits of younger generations. 'The data is clear that the console buyer is becoming older and more affluent, and the younger generations are choosing more often to default to mobile or PC because of the ease of entry and because they already have the devices,' he added. More Trending 'So, I think eventually over time, we're going to get to the point where we more fully transition towards that free-to-play model as a baseline over the next, say, 20 years, 30 years.' There's a lot we don't know about GTA 6, like how much it will cost, but the key to its long term success will be GTA Online (or GTA Online 2 – Rockstar has said nothing about its online plans for the game). If the online suite in the sequel isn't as compelling as GTA 5's, Rockstar might have a battle on its hands convincing people to turn away from the title they've spent a decade investing time into. Even if it is functionally better it will inevitably have less content at launch, which could lead to many returning to GTA 5 after an initial honeymoon period. Based on the trailers though, all signs point to GTA 6 being a significant technical leap over its predecessor, which might be enough to supplant GTA 5 and keep itself in the conversation for the next decade to come. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: EA is going to make a new Battlefield game every year claims source MORE: Top 5 video game developers that have wasted their talents – Reader's Feature MORE: PETA gives Nintendo free advertising by complaining about the cows in Mario Kart
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Scotsman
Will GTA 6 be delayed again? Take-Two CEO delivers verdict
GTA 6 is one of the most anticipated games of all-time 🎮 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to release in 2026. Rockstar announced earlier this year it had pushed the game back. But will the highly anticipated title avoid further delays? It might not be hyperbole to say that Grand Theft Auto VI is the most highly anticipated game of all time. The long-awaited entry in the iconic franchise is due to arrive in 2026. Fans have been waiting for more than a decade since GTA V launched back on the Xbox 360 and PS3. During the wait since 2013 a lot has happened, including Rockstar releasing Red Dead Redemption 2 to massive acclaim. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After being officially revealed in December 2023, following years of rumours and leaks, the game was due to land in 2025. Earlier in the year, however, it was delayed to May 2026, and fans might be worried about future delays. However, the CEO of Take-Two (the owners of Rockstar) has delivered a verdict. Here's all you need to know: Will GTA 6 be delayed again? Lucia is one of the main characters in Grand Theft Auto 6. | Rockstar Games Rockstar announced earlier in 2025 that it was pushing back the game to May 26, 2026 to allow further development. A second trailer followed and whet appetites for the game once again. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Grand Theft Auto VI is set to feature dual protagonists in the form of Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. It will also return the action to Vice City, the site of 2002's GTA: Vice City, and the franchise's version of Florida: Leonida. Speaking about the chances of GTA 6 actually arriving on May 26, Take-Two's CEO delivered a 'confident' verdict. Strauss Zelnick also described it as an 'amazing game'. The Shortcut reports he said: 'My level of conviction is very, very high, obviously. We try not to pump expectations. 'Rockstar's whole stock and trade is to have these extraordinary expectations and still beat them. I know that's their goal. I know it's going to be an amazing game." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He continued: 'While I couldn't be more optimistic than I am, all of us have to do the work. We have to deliver something great to consumers and then the consumers are going to tell us just how great it is.' GTA 6 is set to launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. A PC release is expected at a further date. If you love TV, check out our Screen Babble podcast to get the latest in TV and film.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Scotsman
Will GTA 6 be delayed again? Take-Two CEO delivers verdict
GTA 6 is one of the most anticipated games of all-time 🎮 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to release in 2026. Rockstar announced earlier this year it had pushed the game back. But will the highly anticipated title avoid further delays? It might not be hyperbole to say that Grand Theft Auto VI is the most highly anticipated game of all time. The long-awaited entry in the iconic franchise is due to arrive in 2026. Fans have been waiting for more than a decade since GTA V launched back on the Xbox 360 and PS3. During the wait since 2013 a lot has happened, including Rockstar releasing Red Dead Redemption 2 to massive acclaim. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After being officially revealed in December 2023, following years of rumours and leaks, the game was due to land in 2025. Earlier in the year, however, it was delayed to May 2026, and fans might be worried about future delays. However, the CEO of Take-Two (the owners of Rockstar) has delivered a verdict. Here's all you need to know: Will GTA 6 be delayed again? Lucia is one of the main characters in Grand Theft Auto 6. | Rockstar Games Rockstar announced earlier in 2025 that it was pushing back the game to May 26, 2026 to allow further development. A second trailer followed and whet appetites for the game once again. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Grand Theft Auto VI is set to feature dual protagonists in the form of Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. It will also return the action to Vice City, the site of 2002's GTA: Vice City, and the franchise's version of Florida: Leonida. Speaking about the chances of GTA 6 actually arriving on May 26, Take-Two's CEO delivered a 'confident' verdict. Strauss Zelnick also described it as an 'amazing game'. The Shortcut reports he said: 'My level of conviction is very, very high, obviously. We try not to pump expectations. 'Rockstar's whole stock and trade is to have these extraordinary expectations and still beat them. I know that's their goal. I know it's going to be an amazing game." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He continued: 'While I couldn't be more optimistic than I am, all of us have to do the work. We have to deliver something great to consumers and then the consumers are going to tell us just how great it is.' GTA 6 is set to launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. A PC release is expected at a further date.
