Grand Theft Auto 6 was delayed last week, shifting its original Fall 2025 release window to a definitive launch date of May 26, 2026. While a section of fans was left surprised by the announcement, several employees at developer Rockstar Games reportedly saw the initial launch window as unrealistic. Earlier this year, Rockstar parent Take-Two Interactive had assured fans that GTA 6 was on track to release later this year, but developers reportedly long believed there wasn’t “enough time” for the game to be ready by Fall 2025.
Rockstar Didn’t Think GTA 6 Would Launch in 2025
The information comes from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who followed up the GTA 6 delay announcement on Friday with a social media post that claimed Rockstar staffers were well aware that the game would miss its target release window.
“Nobody I’ve talked to at Rockstar has believed Fall 2025 was a real window for a very long time now,” Schreier said in a post on Bluesky after Rockstar Games announced that GTA 6 would be pushed to 2026.
“Too much work, not enough time, and what appears to be a real desire from management to avoid brutal crunch. GTA VI slipping to 2026 has seemed inevitable for months if not longer,” Schreier added.
Nobody I’ve talked to at Rockstar has believed Fall 2025 was a real window for a very long time now. Too much work, not enough time, and what appears to be a real desire from management to avoid brutal crunch. GTA VI slipping to 2026 has seemed inevitable for months if not longer
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) May 2, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Schreier’s claim suggests GTA 6 requires considerable additional development time before launching. His post also hints that the new May 26, 2026, launch date could be pushed back further. Further delays should not surprise fans as previous Rockstar titles, including Red Dead Redemption 2, were pushed back from their original launch windows multiple times.
It also looks like Rockstar Games wants to avoid crunch — a term used to describe a period of intensive overtime development work leading up to the launch of a game. It’s worth noting that it was Schreier who first reported back in 2022 that the studio was looking to remove the practice and overhaul its “frat-boy” culture, transforming itself as a more inclusive workplace. With crunch period out of the picture, GTA 6 development was likely to stretch longer than previous instalments in the crime franchise.
Rockstar Games announced Friday that GTA 6 would be delayed to next year and finally confirmed a release date for the long-anticipated game. “We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game,” the developer said in its announcement.
The studio said it needed additional time to ensure the game met the standard fans have come to expect from its titles. GTA 6 will launch on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X on May 26, 2026.
