GTA 6 delayed for months for "additional polish"

The internet is once again flooded with memes as Take-Two Interactive has delayed the most-awaited game, GTA 6, for a second time, moving next year’s biggest release back six months to November 19, 2026.

The gaming company’s press release explained, “giving the team some additional time to finish the game with the high level of polish players expect and deserve. Rockstar has our full support, of course, and we are confident they will deliver an unrivaled blockbuster entertainment experience.”

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, told GamesIndustry.biz that he was “confident in the date, that’s why we set it.”

He added, “We are trying very hard to deliver the most extraordinary interactive entertainment experience ever created. Rockstar and we are aligned on that, we’re feeling really good about it.”

He acknowledges that the company, including 2K and the mobile division, sometimes requires additional time to polish a title to ensure its optimal release. He assures that, despite the delay, the title will still be released within the same fiscal year as the previously announced date.

This represents the second official postponement for the game. Initially announced in December 2023 for a 2025 launch, Rockstar moved the release date in May to May 26, 2026. At that time, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick assured IGN, “I think historically when we set a specific date, generally speaking, we’ve been very good about reaching it.”

If its release date falls on the latest estimated time, GTA 6 will launch a significant thirteen years after its predecessor, GTA 5, which originally came out in September 2013.

Developers and publishers who had previously rescheduled major releases to avoid competing with Grand Theft Auto will now be forced to move those key titles again, potentially into the much more competitive Q4 period.