Summary
Grand Theft Auto6is facing a major delay after its development began “falling behind,” according to a new report. Senior Rockstar officials are consequently said to be worried thatGrand Theft Auto 6could miss its planned release window.
Following years' worth of rumors and one massive 2022 leak,GTA 6was finally announcedin early December 2023. Its reveal trailer stated that the game is targeting a 2025 release. Rockstar subsequently clarified that this launch window only applies to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game, with the implication being that its unannounced PC port will hit the market at a later time.
GTA 6 Could Reportedly Slip Into 2026
But even that tentative timeline already appears to be in doubt just three months later, withKotaku reportingthat the game’s development is currently “falling behind,” citing sources familiar with the project. This state of affairs has been characterized as one of the inciting factors behind Rockstar’s purported decision to mandate its employees to return to office starting in April 2024, which was allegedly communicated in February. Specifically, the higher-ups are said to be concerned about the company’s ability to wrap up thefinal stages ofGrand Theft Auto 6developmentwithout letting the game slip into 2026 should everyone keep working remotely.
Despite those concerns, the project is said to have avoided internal delays since its announcement. The new report even narrows down the previously statedGTA 6release windowto spring 2025, describing that as Rockstar’s current internal target. That notwithstanding, Kotaku claims that sources involved in the development believe fall 2025 to be a more realistic scenario, even though that’s currently only said to be the company’s “fallback plan.” Rockstar’s unwillingness to commit to a more specific release window forGTA 6beyond “2025” supports the notion that the studio itself remains uncertain about when exactly the game will go gold.
The purported spring 2025 target dovetails with one recent fan theory that Rockstar is looking to wrap up the game’s development come early next year. This is based on an early March job listingsuggesting the localization work onGTA 6will be concluded in Q1 2025.
Every 3D entry in the iconic franchise has suffered at least one major delay, so the notion ofGTA 6continuing that pattern sounds well within the realm of possibility. Should the game truly end up slipping into 2026, that would also hinder the chances of its PC port hitting the market before 2027, at the earliest. For reference, the PC version ofGTA 5was over a year and a half behind its console counterparts, having also been delayed twice.
Grand Theft Auto 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.
