In what is beginning to feel like a seasonal ritual, Grand Theft Auto VI has been pushed back once more—this time to 19 November 2026—prompting a collective groan from players who have now lived through more release dates than trailers. Rockstar Games, however, insists the delay is for all the right reasons: polish, polish, and just a little more polish.

Take-Two broke the news during its second-quarter earnings call, confirming Rockstar "needed additional time to finish the game with the high level of polish players expect and deserve." 

CEO Strauss Zelnick, who only a year ago was cheerfully confident in a 2025 launch, now says he is "highly confident" in the new date—words fans have heard before, but let's humour him.

The frustration, of course, is palpable. GTA 6 was once a glowing Fall 2025 promise before sliding to May 2026… and now conveniently landing just before Christmas 2026, as if Rockstar hopes we'll be too distracted by mince pies to complain.

Yet, as maddening as the wait may be, history strongly suggests this is a good thing. Rockstar delays are practically a franchise tradition. GTA III paused after 9/11 for a content review; Vice City and San Andreas slipped due to manufacturing shortages; GTA V was famously postponed four months for added polish; even Red Dead Redemption 2 endured multiple delays before arriving as one of the most acclaimed games ever made. The studio simply doesn't release half-cooked casseroles.

Zelnick put it plainly: when games are launched too early, "bad things happen." Given the recent industry graveyard of rushed releases, he might be understating it.

Meanwhile, Take-Two insists the delay won't disrupt the cadence of GTA Online updates—small consolation to fans who remain traumatised by yet another date shift. And all this lands in the same week the company faces protests from recently fired employees, adding yet another layer to an already tangled story.

Still, if Rockstar's spotless record means anything, the extra year could turn irritation into awe. GTA games are late, yes—but they're also great. And when we finally roll back into Vice City, chances are we'll forget the wait ever happened.

 

GTA 6