As part of Take-Two's earnings report today, the company confirmed that Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed and is now coming November 19, 2026. That is a delay of 5 months and 24 days from its previously scheduled May 26, 2026 release date.
"We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve," Rockstar said.
Take-Two's stock price took a beating after the news was announced, falling by nearly $30 per share in after-hours trading. "Rockstar Games will now release Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, 2026, and we remain both excited and confident they will deliver an unrivalled blockbuster entertainment experience," Take-Two said.
Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick told IGN of the delay, "We've had more time to develop the title. And so we are getting closer to the release. We are grateful that it is still within the same fiscal year. And mostly we’re grateful to Rockstar for constantly seeking perfection."
Speaking to The Game Business, Zelnick said, "When we set a date, we really do believe in it. We said when we set the last date, if a game requires more polish to be the best possible version of itself, then we will give that game more time. And that's exactly what happened."
He added: "We feel really good about this release date. It's in the same fiscal year, it happens to be a great release window, and naturally we're really supportive of Rockstar's approach."
On Take-Two's quarterly earnings call, Zelnick suggested that pushing Rockstar to hit GTA 6's previously-announced release date could be bad for the game, and therefore, bad for the company.
"It's always painful when we move a date," he said. "We have done so occasionally in the past, and we've never regretted it in retrospect. I would like to point out that we've had some competitors, in the event where more polish was required and it required slipping a date, they chose not to slip the date, and they did so at their peril."
GTA 6 has already been delayed publicly once, as the game was originally expected to launch right around now in Fall 2025 before Take-Two delayed it to May 2026. At the time, Rockstar said it needed more time to make a game that exceeded fan expectations. In fact, the game's second trailer was released exactly six months ago today on May 6, 2025.
GTA 6 is coming to market with an enormous amount of hype behind it. One expert has said GTA 6 is the single most important game release in history. It's the first new entry in the series since 2013's GTA 5, and is predicted to sell more than 40 million units in its first year alone.
Another talking point regarding GTA 6 has been what its price point could be. One industry observer has said there is "hope" from some that GTA 6 would come to market at $100 to help give other publishers a reason to raise prices as well. A GTA 5 actor recently said GTA 6 would be well worth $100 given the game's size and scope.
Developer Rockstar has found itself embroiled in controversy, as the studio recently fired dozens of employees for what it called "gross misconduct." Rockstar said employees were leaking company secrets, but a labor union says this is baloney and that the affected staffers were fired for attempting to unionize.
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"We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve," Rockstar said.
Take-Two's stock price took a beating after the news was announced, falling by nearly $30 per share in after-hours trading. "Rockstar Games will now release Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, 2026, and we remain both excited and confident they will deliver an unrivalled blockbuster entertainment experience," Take-Two said.
Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick told IGN of the delay, "We've had more time to develop the title. And so we are getting closer to the release. We are grateful that it is still within the same fiscal year. And mostly we’re grateful to Rockstar for constantly seeking perfection."
Speaking to The Game Business, Zelnick said, "When we set a date, we really do believe in it. We said when we set the last date, if a game requires more polish to be the best possible version of itself, then we will give that game more time. And that's exactly what happened."
He added: "We feel really good about this release date. It's in the same fiscal year, it happens to be a great release window, and naturally we're really supportive of Rockstar's approach."
Hi everyone,
Grand Theft Auto VI will now release on Thursday, November 19, 2026.
We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and… pic.twitter.com/yLX9KIiDzX
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 6, 2025
On Take-Two's quarterly earnings call, Zelnick suggested that pushing Rockstar to hit GTA 6's previously-announced release date could be bad for the game, and therefore, bad for the company.
"It's always painful when we move a date," he said. "We have done so occasionally in the past, and we've never regretted it in retrospect. I would like to point out that we've had some competitors, in the event where more polish was required and it required slipping a date, they chose not to slip the date, and they did so at their peril."
GTA 6 has already been delayed publicly once, as the game was originally expected to launch right around now in Fall 2025 before Take-Two delayed it to May 2026. At the time, Rockstar said it needed more time to make a game that exceeded fan expectations. In fact, the game's second trailer was released exactly six months ago today on May 6, 2025.
GTA 6 is coming to market with an enormous amount of hype behind it. One expert has said GTA 6 is the single most important game release in history. It's the first new entry in the series since 2013's GTA 5, and is predicted to sell more than 40 million units in its first year alone.
Another talking point regarding GTA 6 has been what its price point could be. One industry observer has said there is "hope" from some that GTA 6 would come to market at $100 to help give other publishers a reason to raise prices as well. A GTA 5 actor recently said GTA 6 would be well worth $100 given the game's size and scope.
Developer Rockstar has found itself embroiled in controversy, as the studio recently fired dozens of employees for what it called "gross misconduct." Rockstar said employees were leaking company secrets, but a labor union says this is baloney and that the affected staffers were fired for attempting to unionize.
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