Despite frequent mentions of a possible delay, the announcement of the postponement shocked everyone. Fans on Reddit either jokingly or seriously pinned a comment with hotline numbers for suicide prevention. Companies are worried about the release date because launching alongside GTA 6 seems like a suicidal move for their projects—even for Call of Duty and Battlefield. This concern costs money with each new delay. Jason Schreier noted this in his piece for Bloomberg. The main point of that publication is that the journalist does not rule out further delays of Grand Theft Auto VI even next year. He doesn’t provide any conclusions, so let’s explore this together.
May 26, 2026, seems like a beautiful and somewhat symbolic date (more on that later). But is it final? We have our doubts. Spring is not the most popular time for video game releases. However, for such a large and important title, this may not matter since it will still sell out, and players will be taking time off from school/work en masse. But fall is much more profitable (and favored by Rockstar Games in October) with its holidays, Black Friday, and ready-to-buy consumers. Then there’s December with increased spending on entertainment. A release like the new “six” during Christmas is a guaranteed jackpot for Take-Two. For developers, it offers an additional 3-4 months for final polishing.
Let’s recall the history of flagship delays. GTA 5 was initially planned for spring 2013 but was postponed until September. RDR 2 faced two delays: first from the second half of 2017 to the first half of 2018, and then to October. Would you be surprised if GTA 6 has a similar story? We wouldn’t. Moreover, announcing an exact release date more than a year in advance seems unusual.
Regardless, we propose focusing on the confirmed date for now, but be prepared for any development. We’ll likely know more next spring.
Source: gta.com.ua