GTA 6 Delayed to May 26, 2026 — Rockstar's First Apology
Announced on a Friday, outside any earnings event, in Rockstar's own words: 'We are very sorry that this is later than you expected.'
Fall 2025 lasted almost exactly a year as the official window. On Friday, May 2, 2025, Rockstar posted the correction itself, rather than letting it emerge from an earnings call thirteen days later.
The statement in full is short enough to quote almost entirely: "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."
Take-Two's accompanying line, attributed to Strauss Zelnick, backed it without reservation: the company "supports fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision."
The mechanics matter. The slip was roughly six to eight months from the Fall 2025 window, and it moved the launch out of Take-Two's fiscal 2026 and into fiscal 2027 — a material change to the company's financial year, disclosed on a Friday rather than buried in a Thursday earnings deck. Platforms were unchanged: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC date.
Four days later, Rockstar released Trailer 2. That ordering was not accidental. The apology went out alone, took its criticism on its own, and the trailer followed once the news had landed.