It was a regular Friday morning until gamers in India woke up to a news that caught them off guard. Rockstar Games’ much-awaited title, Gta 6, has been delayed yet again as the studio wants to give it some extra polish before handing it over to the world. The game has now been delayed until November 2026, which means that there will now be a 13-year gap after GTA V’s 2013 debut.
Gamers immediately took to social media, expressing a mix of frustration and humor at the news. For example, one Redditor quipped that someone who was “27 when GTA V came out” would be 40 by the time GTA VI finally arrives, highlighting the prolonged wait. Memes have also started comparing GTA VI to other major releases and fans are joking that whole new movie trilogies might premiere before GTA VI. Despite the disappointment, some also acknowledged Rockstar’s need to polish the game to meet high expectations.
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Rockstar’s first official peek at GTA VI came in December 2023, when a trailer introduced protagonists Jason and Lucia and confirmed only a “2025 release window”, industry insiders had speculated on a Fall 2025 launch, and even Take-Two executives publicly said late 2025 was the goal. The trailer’s unprecedented popularity (it drew over 93 million views in 24 hours underscored the massive excitement. However, Rockstar did not lock in any specific date beyond 2025, leaving the community eagerly awaiting more concrete news.
Originally targeting late 2025, GTA VI’s release schedule soon shifted. On May 2, 2025 Rockstar announced the game would arrive on May 26, 2026, citing the need for extra polish. The news drew mixed reactions. As Vice reported, fans lamented that Rockstar’s marketing had “taken all the hype away” after promising a 2025 launch, with one user writing “If you’re going to delay it, at least give us some screenshots… it’s painful for the fans”.
And now, Rockstar has delayed the game again to November 19, 2026, and Take-Two’s CEO Strauss Zelnick described the shift as “painful” while insisting the extra time was necessary to meet expectations. The second postponement, as mentioned already, has resulted in more jokes: one user quipped about “six more months of noteworthy releases” before GTA VI, and many noted they’d grown another decade older waiting for the game.
Rockstar has officially locked November 19, 2026 as GTA VI’s release date, promising in a Twitter post that the extra months will ensure the game is “finished…with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve.”
Fans, however, remain skeptical. Many pointed out that leaked development builds still look far from final, one Redditor noted the game “doesn’t even look close to finished”. Others warned that slipping into late 2026 could mean yet another delay, joking “if they delay it past the holiday I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets pushed back another year”.
Only time will tell if Rockstar can meet this latest deadline. At this point, players can only hope this is the final delay and trust Rockstar’s promise of a polished release in late 2026.
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