GTA 6 release date delay explained by Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick

The CEO of Take-Two, which owns Rockstar Games, has confirmed why the decision was made to delay the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. The game was pushed back from its initial release window of Autumn 2025 to 26 May 2026 and Zelnick said it’s because of how “complex” the game is, describing the delay as a “worthy investment”.

In prepared remarks ahead of an earnings call, Zelnick said: “I believe affording Rockstar additional time for such a groundbreaking project is a worthy investment. GTA 6 began development in earnest in 2020 following the massive success of Red Dead Redemption 2 and the title is now the most anticipated entertainment property of all time.

“The ambition and complexity of GTA 6 is greater than any previous Rockstar title and the team is poised to release another astonishing entertainment experience that will exceed players' expectations.”

This explanation comes after Rockstar released the second trailer for GTA 6 on 6 May which had the biggest video launch in history with more than 475 million views across all platforms in its first 24 hours after release. It gave a fresh glimpse of protagonists Lucia and her partner – now confirmed to be named Jason – tearing through the Florida-inspired Vice City. It’s the first trailer since the first teaser from December 2023, which shattered YouTube records and has since racked up more than 250 million views itself.

The delay itself came on 2 May, shortly after Zelnick hinted a slip was possible despite earlier confidence in a 2025 launch window. While GTA 6 is now on the back burner until 2026, Borderlands 4, which was announced at the same time, is still scheduled to arrive in September. So, what do we know about GTA 6? When is the game releasing? And how much could it cost? We’ve got all the details about the upcoming instalment of the franchise.

The long-awaited second trailer for GTA 6 recently landed, giving fans a fresh look at Vice City and our two new protagonists, but it came with a dose of disappointment. Rockstar officially confirmed that the game won’t be arriving in 2025 as originally promised. Instead, it’s now set to launch on 26 May 2026, according to a statement shared on the publisher’s social media channels.

It’s not the first time Rockstar has delayed a major release. Take Red Dead Redemption 2, for example. The first teaser for that game arrived in October 2016 with a planned launch in the second half of 2017. It was then delayed twice, first to early 2018, and finally released on 26 October 2018 – a full two years after the teaser dropped.

The timeline now looks similar for GTA 6. The game’s first trailer debuted in December 2023, promising a 2025 release window. But with the new date set for May 2026, Rockstar appears to be following a familiar pattern.

Rumours of a GTA 6 delay began circulating in March 2024, when a report from Kotaku revealed insiders at Rockstar believed the game would be pushed to late 2025 or even early 2026. According to the report, development had started to “fall behind,” with Rockstar leadership concerned the studio wouldn’t hit its original target.

Just a month earlier, in February 2024, Rockstar mandated a full return to the office for its staff. While the company cited quality and security as reasons, sources told Kotaku it was also driven by mounting pressure to stay on schedule.

At the time, Kotaku reported that while early 2025 had once been possible, the studio was now aiming for an Autumn 2025 launch – a sentiment echoed by Zelnick during earnings calls throughout the year. In December 2024, Zelnick teased the game as “extraordinary and worth waiting for,” adding that it would be “breathtaking.”

That timeline was finally upended when Rockstar officially confirmed the delay and set a new release date of 26 May 2026. The news came just ahead of the release of GTA 6’s second trailer, giving fans a new glimpse at the game’s setting and characters. Zelnick has also given recent interviews where he’s said when a specific release date is given, it’s historically been met in relation to other titles.

The second trailer for GTA 6 confirms the game is set in the state of Leonida – Rockstar’s fictional take on Florida. Vice City sits at the centre of it all, returning as the main location. This time around, the city looks bigger, more detailed and far more grounded in modern-day culture than the 1980s version seen in previous games.

While Vice City still has the flashy beachfronts and neon lights, it now includes everything from pastel hotels and late-night strip clubs to busy roads, local businesses and viral-style social media clips. Areas like Ocean Beach, Little Haiti and the Tisha-Wocka flea market all appear to be part of the city. Landmarks like the VCI airport and Port VC show up again, hinting at a much larger, more complex map.

The game will also include locations like the Leonida Keys – a tropical island chain – and Grassrivers, a sprawling swamp region. There’s Port Gellhorn, a faded coastal town with run-down shops and motels, and Ambrosia, which is dominated by a sugar refinery and a biker gang. Mount Kalaga, a mountainous rural area in the north, rounds things out.

While Vice City is the headline location, GTA 6 is shaping up to be much more than a city map. The wider state of Leonida looks like a vast world, with plenty to explore outside the city. There is speculation that the inclusion of Mount Kalaga and the mention of Gloriana, which could be a fictional state based on neighbouring Georgia, means the game will expand beyond Leonida too.

Rockstar recently released character bios for GTA 6. The two main protagonists are Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. Jason is a former soldier working for local drug runners in the Keys, while Lucia has just been released from Leonida Penitentiary and is looking for a way to turn her life around.

Cal Hampton is Jason’s friend and an associate of Brian Heder. He is described as living “at the low tide of America” and spends his time listening to Coast Guard communications while drinking at home. Brian Heder is a veteran drug smuggler from the Keys. He runs a boat yard with his third wife, Lori, and is allowing Jason to live rent-free at one of his properties in exchange for help with local shakedowns.

Boobie Ike is described as a Vice City legend who owns a strip club, recording studio and property portfolio, while Dre’Quan Priest is said to be an aspiring music mogul who runs Only Raw Records and is focused on building his label’s reputation in the local music scene.

Real Dimez is a rap duo made up of Bae-Luxe and Roxy. They are described as using their time shaking down dealers to fund their music careers and grow their social media following. They are signed to Only Raw Records. Raul Bautista is described as a seasoned bank robber who is always on the hunt for new talent.

There’s still no official price and Take-Two bosses refused to be drawn on revealing how much it will cost despite being asked about it by investors during the most recent earnings call. While rumours have suggested the game could cost up to $150 (£120) due to its reported $1bn to $2bn budget, that seems unlikely. The price of games is rising though, with Nintendo the first to up the price of one of its star digital games to $80 (£75) with Mario Kart World.

Microsoft confirmed it will be following suit and doing the same with some of its first-party titles over the pre-Christmas shopping period. There has been speculation Rockstar is likely to follow suit, however Mafia: The Old Country, published by sister Rockstar company 2K, is being sold at $49.99 (£44.99) and Zelnick said in Take-Two’s most recent earnings call the company is focused on giving gamers value for money through its variable pricing model.

GTA 6 is officially coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on 26 May 2026. Rockstar has not confirmed a PC release, and there’s no mention yet of a version for PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch 2. A PC version will likely come later, based on Rockstar’s usual release pattern. Cross-platform play has not been confirmed.

Rockstar hasn’t said anything specific about the Nintendo Switch 2, but Zelnick has previously said the Switch’s audience has broadened and that “we actually would fully expect to support Switch [2]”, though GTA 6 was not mentioned by name. If it does come to the Switch 2, it’ll almost certainly be well after the main launch.

There’s worse news for 4K support and 60fps. In 2024, Digital Foundry’s Richard Leadbetter said the PS5 Pro was unlikely to run GTA 6 at 60fps, explaining that the series has always pushed the CPU hard. Since the PS5 Pro uses the same CPU as the base PS5, experts believe it will likely be locked to 30fps at launch, with possible upgrades later.

Tech experts there have since doubled down on these claims after scrutinising the second trailer.

While there are currently no deals on the standalone PS5 Slim console, if you buy the console from Very, the retailer will throw in a copy of the PS5 version of GTA 5 for just £10, saving you £10.

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