GTA 6 Release Date History: Every Delay, Dated

Grand Theft Auto VI is set to launch on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. That is the third date Rockstar has given. The game was first promised for 2025, then for fall 2025, then for May 26, 2026, before the current date was set on November 6, 2025.

This page is the record of how we got here. Each row below shows when Rockstar Games or its parent company Take-Two Interactive said something official, what date they promised, and the reason they gave. We only count statements from Rockstar's Newswire and Take-Two's investor releases and filings, not leaks or rumors. Last checked: October 10, 2026.

The current GTA 6 release date

Rockstar set Thursday, November 19, 2026 in a Newswire post on November 6, 2025. Take-Two repeated that date in every quarterly report since: February 3, 2026, May 21, 2026 and August 7, 2026. Pre-orders have been open since June 25, 2026, and the price and editions are covered in our GTA 6 release date, price and editions guide.

If you want to know the hour it unlocks where you live, see what time GTA 6 unlocks in your timezone. This page covers only the history of the date itself.

GTA 6 release date timeline

Each row is one official statement, in order. "Promised" is the date or window the statement gave.

Take-Two's fiscal year runs from April to March, so "Q2 FY26" means the July to September 2025 quarter. Its results usually come out in early November, February, May and August.

Why Rockstar and Take-Two say GTA 6 was delayed

Both delays gave the same reason: more time for quality. Neither statement blamed a specific feature, platform or problem.

Delay 1: fall 2025 to May 26, 2026

Rockstar's Newswire post on May 2, 2025 said: "We are very sorry that this is later than you expected," and that "we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve." In Take-Two's press release the same day, CEO Strauss Zelnick said the company would "support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision."

Speaking to IGN around Take-Two's May 15, 2025 results, Zelnick added: "The most important thing to do is to support your teams in their search for perfection."

Delay 2: May 26, 2026 to November 19, 2026

Rockstar's post on November 6, 2025 said: "We are sorry for adding additional time," and that "these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve." Take-Two said in its results the same day that it remained "both excited and confident" about the game.

In interviews that day, Zelnick told The Game Business that "if a game requires more polish to be the best possible version of itself, then we will give that game more time," as reported by Kotaku. He told IGN: "I'm highly confident on the new date," as reported by GamesRadar.

What each delay did to trailers and pre-orders

The delays did not only move the launch. They pushed back the whole marketing plan.

• After delay 1: Trailer 2 arrived just four days later, on May 6, 2025, already showing the new May 26, 2026 date. Rockstar opened wishlisting on store pages, but not pre-orders.
• After delay 2: Rockstar went quiet for about seven months. Pre-orders opened on June 25, 2026, about seven months after the delay and five months before launch. The third major video, "An Extended Look", premiered on August 27, 2026, roughly 12 weeks before launch.
• Launch week plans: Digital pre-loading and boxed copies are set for November 12, 2026, one week before launch. Our pre-load size and refund guide explains what to do before you start the download.

Will GTA 6 be delayed again?

As of October 10, 2026, there is no official sign of a third delay. The date has been repeated in four straight quarterly reports, pre-orders are live, and the launch-week schedule is published.

In late September 2026, a social media account claimed the game had slipped to 2027. That claim had no Rockstar or Take-Two source behind it, and the official date did not change. Treat any delay story the same way: if it is not on Rockstar Newswire or in a Take-Two release, it is not a delay.

These are the only signals worth watching:

1. A Rockstar Newswire post. Both delays were announced there first.
2. Take-Two's next quarterly results. Take-Two reported in early November in both 2024 and 2025 (November 6 each time), and the second delay came on that day.
3. Changes to store listings. A new date on the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store would follow an official announcement, not come before it.

Be careful with "leaked" release news and early-access offers. Our guides on GTA 6 leaks that are real or fake and fake GTA 6 download scams show what to avoid.

What the date history does not cover

Some dates are still unannounced, and this timeline does not guess at them:

• PC: Take-Two has not announced a PC version or date. See our GTA 6 on PC release date page for what has been said.
• Online: GTA 6 launches as a single-player game. Read what is known about GTA 6 Online.
• Launch week: our GTA 6 launch hub tracks the schedule from pre-load to launch day.

FAQs

When is GTA 6 coming out?

GTA 6 is set for November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar announced that date on November 6, 2025, and Take-Two last reaffirmed it on August 7, 2026.

How many times has GTA 6 been delayed?

Twice. On May 2, 2025, Rockstar moved it from fall 2025 to May 26, 2026. On November 6, 2025, it moved again to November 19, 2026.

Why was GTA 6 delayed?

Rockstar said both times that it needed more time for quality and polish. It did not name a specific problem or feature.

Was GTA 6 delayed again to 2027?

No. A social media claim in late September 2026 said it slipped to 2027, but Rockstar and Take-Two have made no such announcement. The official date is still November 19, 2026.

When was GTA 6 first announced?

Rockstar confirmed it was in development on February 4, 2022, and revealed the game with Trailer 1 on December 4, 2023, with a 2025 release window.

What was the original GTA 6 release date?

There was never a fixed day before the first delay. Trailer 1 said 2025, and Take-Two narrowed that to fall 2025 on May 16, 2024. The first exact day, May 26, 2026, came with the first delay.