The highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI has been hit with another significant delay, pushing its release to November 2026, developer Rockstar Games has confirmed.
The sequel to 2013's blockbuster GTA V was originally scheduled for an autumn 2025 release before being pushed back earlier this year. This latest postponement marks the second major delay for what's expected to be one of the best-selling games of all time.
Why Rockstar Needs More Time
According to Rockstar, the additional development time will allow them to deliver the game with "the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve." This reasoning doesn't surprise industry experts.
George Osborn, games industry commentator and author of the Games Industry Memo, told Sky News: "For something that is as enormous, as big budget, as high production value as this, and given Rockstar's history as a company of delaying stuff until it's absolutely ready, it's not hugely unexpected."
While recent major releases have embraced a "less is more" approach, Rockstar is operating differently. The studio is reportedly working with a budget exceeding £1 billion to satisfy fans who have waited over a decade for a new instalment.
"If you look at the Indiana Jones that came out last year, it looks great, it's really fun to play, but it actually only lasts about 20 hours in terms of game time," Mr Osborn explained. "But [GTA VI] might be one of the handful of gigantic games that really does need to be that polished to meet the expectations of consumers."
Internal Issues and Union Concerns
The delay announcement comes during a turbulent week for Rockstar, after the studio faced accusations of union-busting when approximately 30 staff members were fired.
The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) claimed the dismissed employees were all participating in trade union activities. However, a Rockstar spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company took action against "a small number" of staff for "distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum."
Parent company Take-Two Interactive has also implemented multiple rounds of job cuts across its business over the past two years. Despite these internal challenges, Mr Osborn believes they haven't significantly impacted GTA VI's development timeline.
"For Take-Two, Grand Theft Auto is essentially the golden egg," he said. "They're waiting for the goose to lay, so they're not too fussed [about] reductions of headcount at Rockstar."
A Silver Lining in the Delay?
While frustration mounts among eager fans, the extended development period could benefit both the game's quality and the wellbeing of Rockstar's staff.
One gamer on X expressed the common sentiment: "Better it come out good than rushed, but still disappointing… Hope they at least give us trailer two as an apology."
Mr Osborn noted that the delay might reduce pressure on developers, recalling Rockstar's past controversies around intense "crunch" periods leading up to major releases like Red Dead Redemption and GTA V.
"During the GTA IV era, it was like working with a gun to your head seven days a week," one former employee revealed in 2018.
Since then, Rockstar has attempted to reform its working culture. "The repercussion of that [reform] is essentially it takes them even longer to make stuff because the production standards are so high," Mr Osborn explained. "For GTA VI, it has to be perfect out of the gate."
Industry-Wide Ripple Effects
The GTA VI delay sends shockwaves through the entire gaming industry, as other publishers scramble to adjust their release schedules.
"It's going to just dominate everything and take the air out of the room," Mr Osborn predicted, noting that GTA V remains the second-best-selling game of all time, trailing only Minecraft.
The new November 2026 date creates breathing room for other major titles. "The immediate winners are probably Resident Evil Requiem in February and First Light, the James Bond game that is releasing in March," said Mr Osborn. "Both of those games [now] have a much, much clearer run into the year."
Games like The Elder Scrolls VI or Fable, potentially scheduled for autumn 2026, may now consider moving their release dates to avoid competing with the gaming behemoth.
"Ultimately, when the GTA VI release date moves, the entire industry moves around it," Mr Osborn concluded.
Even the commentator benefits personally from the shift—his book on the games industry can now launch well before GTA VI's arrival. "For someone who's trying to convince people who like video games to spend £25 on something, it's really handy that something that's going to cost £70, £80 has just been shoved out of the calendar."
