Fariha Bhatti 
GTA 6 finally has a confirmed release date, but fans aren’t exactly thrilled with it.
Grant Theft Auto 6 is easily one of the most anticipated games of all time, with fans obsessively refreshing Rockstar’s website in hopes of a new update. However, the developer has been tight-lipped since the record-shattering trailer in December 2023. Despite the lack of official news, fans were convinced the game is still on track for a late 2025 release.
As it turns out, some rumors were true in that GTA 6 is now officially delayed to 2026, and fans are understandably frustrated.
When is GTA 6 release date?
GTA 6 is set to release on May 2026, Rockstar Games has confirmed.
In its official statement, Rockstar acknowledged the massive anticipation surrounding GTA 6 and apologized for the delay. The developer cited quality concerns as the reason for pushing things back while promising to share more updates soon.
While most fans are upset, some were already expecting a delay. Initially, GTA 6 was expected to release on October 28 due to Rockstar’s history of late-October launches. With Take-Two spacing out Borderlands 4’s release in September, October 28 just made sense.
The delay started to feel inevitable after an interview given by Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick. He said Rockstar is chasing perfection and admitted there’s always a risk of “slippage.” He also mentioned that marketing would kick off in earnest closer to the game’s launch. Something that clearly hasn’t happened deep into Q2 2025.
While it’s certainly not the greatest news for the fans of the GTA franchise, at least now there’s a confirmed release date for the new game. Fans can now start saving up to buy a copy, which is expected by some experts in and around the industry to retail for $80, or even higher for editions of the game beyond the standard release. With Nintendo and Microsoft already pushing $80 price tags, Rockstar Games now has the needed cover to charge the same or more for GTA 6 without taking the heat for going first.
