GTA 6 Delayed to November 19, 2026 | Rockstar Confirms New Release Date

Rockstar just announced on X, that they have made the decision to once again delay GTA VI to be part of the busiest gaming season: November 2026.

When GTA VI was first rumored to release this year, developers worldwide feared the monumental title's release - from the likes of Hideo Kojima with Death Stranding 2, to Sucker Punch with their samurai revenge story Ghost of Yotei, and small indie developers alike. No one wanted to be caught in the wake when the juggernaut title released.

Now, Rockstar has brought the fear to the holiday season with GTA VI getting a new release date of November 19, 2026.

“Hi everyone, Grand Theft Auto VI will now release on Thursday, November 19, 2026. We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve. We want to thank you again for your patience and support. While the wait is a little longer, we are incredibly excited for players to experience the sprawling state of Leonida and a return to modern day Vice City. Sincerely, Rockstar Games.”

How this impacts the wider industry once again has placed developers in a rather interesting position. Especially, Xbox with its 25th year anniversary on November 15, 2026 - just 4 days before the new release date of GTA VI. Xbox, if on track, should have a very successful year ahead: Fable, Gears E-Day, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and the next Call of Duty title. It’s likely one of these was initially set for November - possibly Halo: Campaign Evolved. Though not as impactful as a brand-new entry, being a remake raises questions about how Xbox will schedule first-party releases to avoid being overshadowed by GTA VI.

PlayStation is also faced with decisions. From revealed titles to date, Insomniac’s Marvel's Wolverine looms as the big question. Would Sony want to position Wolverine for the holiday season or choose a different window? There are many strategic decisions ahead for both companies when planning tent-pole launches for maximum impact.

Some have speculated the delay came after recent layoffs at Rockstar. As pointed out by Reece on X,, Rockstar employs over 6,000 people: “you aren't delaying a game over 35 people getting laid off” and that large studios tend to be compartmentalised. Many staff members work only on specific chunks of a project for scope and security reasons.

Ultimately, Rockstar wants more time to optimise and polish the game as much as possible before launching what will likely be classified as the largest game launch in history.

Reece said the game is “content ready,” but Rockstar wants to avoid a disastrous day-one launch similar to early versions of No Man’s Sky or Cyberpunk 2077. Both titles were later improved through updates, but GTA VI will be under a different level of scrutiny from gamers and mainstream media.

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