Rockstar Games employees didn’t believe that Grand Theft Auto 6 was going to come out in 2025, prior to its delay to 2026, it’s claimed.
After months of speculation,Rockstarconfirmed onFriday that the game would now launch in May 2026.
Following the announcement, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who had previously reported that the 2025 release window was looking unlikely, took to social media to claim that those within Rockstar didn’t expect the game to be released this year.
“Nobody I’ve talked to at Rockstar has believed Fall 2025 was a real window for a very long time now,” Schreier wrote.
“Too much work, not enough time, and what appears to be a real desire from management to avoid brutal crunch. GTA VI slipping to 2026 has seemed inevitable for months if not longer.”
Nobody I’ve talked to at Rockstar has believed Fall 2025 was a real window for a very long time now. Too much work, not enough time, and what appears to be a real desire from management to avoid brutal crunch. GTA VI slipping to 2026 has seemed inevitable for months if not longer
In a statement from Rockstar on Friday, the company apologised for the delay.
“With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, andGrand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.
Further reading
During an investor presentation in February, publisherTake-Twosaid the game was still on track to release this year, saying it was “launching Fall of Calendar 2025”.
“We forecast that Calendar Year 2025 will be an inflection point for Take-Two,” the publisher wrote in a statement at the time, “from the groundbreaking release ofGrand Theft Auto 6in the Fall, to the unmatched pipeline that2Kis set to deliver, including Civilization 7 on February 11,Mafia: The Old Countryin the Summer, andBorderlands4.”
