Grand Theft Auto VI Delayed to May 26, 2026

Look, we all wanted to believe. After over a decade of waiting, a generation of consoles, and enough fake leaks to fill Liberty City with tinfoil hats, Rockstar finally unveiled Grand Theft Auto VI. The trailer dropped, our brains melted, and the calendar flipped to 2025. We marked it. We circled it. We prayed.

Well, time to grab that red marker and draw a big ol’ line through it, because GTA VI is now officially delayed to May 26, 2026. Here is Rockstar Games’ full statement:

Hi everyone,

Grand Theft Auto VI is now set to release on May 26, 2026.

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.

With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.

We look forward to sharing more information with you soon.

Sincerely,
Rockstar Games

Yes. 2026. And not even early 2026. Not a cute little “Q1 launch” with optimism and tax refunds. We’re talking full-blown late May, the kind of release window that practically screams “we’re trying to avoid another Cyberpunk 2077 situation.”

Now, to be fair, anyone who honestly thought GTA VI was launching in 2025 probably also believes Mario pays taxes. There were red flags the size of Mount Chiliad. Rockstar’s own press releases kept things vague, and every insider with a keyboard was whispering delays like they were afraid Take-Two had snipers with little red dots on their foreheads from across the street.

So now here we are. Rockstar is promising the game will be “worth the wait.” And sure, it probably will be. This is Rockstar, after all, the studio that gave us Red Dead Redemption 2, a game so polished it made real horses feel underdeveloped.

Now, let’s count the things we don’t know about GTA VI, shall we? The price? No clue. Probably at least $70 but easily $80. Likely even more if the tariff apocalypse continues turning game prices into luxury commodities. A collector’s edition? Likely. Will it come with a faux cocaine briefcase or a real working rocket launcher? Who knows.

What about a physical edition? With the way things are going, we’re half-expecting Rockstar to sell it exclusively as a limited digital NFT download locked behind a crypto wallet guarded by Trevor.

All of this comes on the heels of our recent reports that Nintendo and Microsoft have pushed their standard pricing up to $80, a move that feels bold for companies selling us Mario Kart World and Halo: Insert Subtitle Here. If Mario Kart is worth $80, GTA VI better come with a free voucher for actual crime.

Let’s not kid ourselves. They could charge $100 for the game. $120 for a steelbook edition. $150 for the Vice City Deluxe Pack™ that comes with a novelty neon lamp and a bag of artificial sand.

We. Would. Still. Buy. It.

Because GTA VI is more than just a game — it’s an event. It’s the moon landing for people who skipped science class and majored in carnage. It’s Rockstar’s way of reminding the world that they don’t just make games — they drop cultural nukes.

So yeah, we’re pissed. But we’ll be there on May 26, 2026. Day one. Credit card in hand. Hoping the delay means fewer bugs, smoother cops, and at least one radio station hosted by a bitter ex-NPC. But still. Goddammit, Rockstar.