Some Developers Have Doubts About Grand Theft Auto 6’s New Release Date

Rockstar announced earlier this month that GTA 6, which has reportedly been in development since 2018, had been delayed to next year. There was a silver lining, however, as the delay came with a release date — May 26, 2026. But not everyone is convinced that the already record-breaking sequel won’t get pushed back again.

As reported by Bloomberg, some publishers were relieved by the news, like EA, which has been dancing around a release date for the upcoming Battlefield for months now, all to avoid clashing with Rockstar. With GTA 6’s release date confirmed, EA chief executive officer Andrew Wilson stated, “We believe that window is clearer than it was before”. Rockstar appears to have put the California-based video game company at ease.

However, others, like an unknown developer behind an unnamed “big multiplayer game”, aren’t nearly as confident. Their project was already delayed from fall 2025 to spring 2026, not only because it needed more time, but also to avoid being trampled in the GTA 6 stampede. With its delay, they’re left to gamble with what is undoubtedly an already expensive venture. A delay to avoid GTA 6 again would be costly, especially if Rockstar delays its return to Vice City, making the two games clash anyway. But sticking with the current launch window is just as risky, as if GTA 6 does launch on May 26, they’ll have to compete with a juggernaut of the industry.

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier put it plainly: “There’s no guarantee that May 2026 is a sure thing.” GTA 6 could be delayed again, and taking Rockstar at face value when pencilling in a game’s release date could be disastrous, hence the games industry playing chicken as they avoid committing to anything. Or it could mean nothing. After all, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 went up against the enormously successful and popular Oblivion remaster, and both did exceptionally well. Regardless, everyone is trying to stay clear of GTA 6 given its predecessor’s historic success.

How Many Times Were GTA 5 And Red Dead Redemption 2 Delayed?

While we can’t say for certain whether Rockstar will stick the landing, it does have a history of delays.

GTA 5 was only publicly pushed back once, but more recently, Red Dead Redemption 2 was delayed from fall 2017 to spring 2018, and again to October 26 later that same year. That isn’t a pattern, nor does it tell us whether GTA 6 will follow suit, but it does at least indicate that Rockstar is willing to delay a game a second time. So, the tentpole sequel may be pushed back to the end of 2026. There’s certainly a precedent.

It’s a point of contention among veteran industry analysts and developers alike, who are scrambling to stay out of the way of GTA 6 whenever it may launch. All we can say with any certainty is that there is no certainty: don’t bet on May 26.

Grand Theft Auto 6

Systems

Released

May 26, 2026

Engine

Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE)

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer