Despite feeling confident that GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto VI) will be released in 2025, Rockstar Games is leaving the door open for a 2026 delay.
For nearly a decade, fans have been clamoring for the next game in Rockstar's beloved line of sandbox action games, and now, it is closer than ever.
GTA 6 was finally announced with a record-breaking trailer back in December 2023, coming with a nebulous 2025 release window. However, in the more than a year since then, speculation of the game slipping to 2026 started to take hold.
Take-Two Confident In GTA 6 Release Window, Delay Concerns Remain
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick teased fans yet again with GTA 6's potential 2025 release window.
Speaking with IGN, Zelnick revealed the team "[feels] really good about it [fall 2025]," but "there's always a risk of slippage:"
"Look, there's always a risk of slippage and I think as soon as you say words like absolutely, you jinx things. [But] we feel really good about it."
"I think the game is eagerly anticipated both internally and externally," he added, saying, "I never claim success before it occurs:"
"Look, I think the game is eagerly anticipated both internally and externally. We know that Rockstar seeks perfection. I never claim success before it occurs. I'm fond of saying arrogance is the enemy of continued success, so we're all running scared and looking over our shoulders and we know that the competition is not asleep. Our whole organization is super excited."
This interview came mere moments before Take-Two's Q3 FY 2025 earnings call (read more about the earnings call here), where fans had theorized more release information for the game would be disclosed.
During that earnings call, Rockstar again reaffirmed fall 2025 will, in fact, be when GTA 6 sees the light of day. In its presentation to investors, the company wrote, "This calendar year is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever for Take-Two," listing several games including, "Grand Theft Auto VI in the fall:"
"Looking ahead, this calendar year is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever for Take-Two, as we plan to launch 'Sid Meier’s Civilization VII' on February 11th, 'Mafia: The Old Country' in the summer, 'Grand Theft Auto VI' in the fall, and 'Borderlands 4.'"
Zelnick added to this in a conversation with Variety coinciding with the call, remarking that they are sticking to that fall window for now and "when it’s appropriate, of course, Rockstar is going to have more to say:"
"We've announced a pretty narrow window. So I think our view is that right now, that’s fine. And then when it’s appropriate, of course, Rockstar is going to have more to say.”
While GTA 6 was dated for 2025 when it was initially announced, some have begun to speculate it could be delayed to 2026. Despite this, Rockstar continued to reaffirm the game would arrive this year, maintaining that no delay was coming.
These quotes from Zelnick simply seem to be the Take-Two executive covering his bases, believing the game will come in 2025, but also setting up gamers to the idea that GTA 6 is not invincible in the case that the game does end up slipping to 2026.
It is worth noting that both of Rockstar's last two tentpole titles, Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) and Red Dead Redemption 2, received slight delays, meaning there is always the chance that GTA 6 suffers the same fate.
For reference, GTA V (which was initially scheduled for a Q2 2013 release) was ultimately delayed to that fall in January 2013—roughly two to five months before it was originally supposed to hit store shelves.
Red Dead 2 was delayed several times (once internally and twice publicly), with the third and final push coming on February 1, 2018, several months before its (at the time current) release in Spring 2018.
That likely means (to the disappointment of many) fans will not 100% know GTA 6 is coming in 2025 for several more months.
GTA 6 is still listed as being released in 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
