GTA 6’s Rumored Second Delay Would Be Heartbreaking, But…

It's not really hyperbole at this point to say that Grand Theft Auto 6 can claim to be the most anticipated game of all-time. Developer Rockstar Games certainly thinks as much, as even well ahead of its release, the studio has stated that it already expects the next entry in its massively popular franchise to be "the largest game launch in history." And while this might seem a little overconfident, in this case, there's almost no question that Grand Theft Auto 6, like its predecessor, will break records once it's actually out.

However, the wait for the sixth installment has now gone on for more than 12 years, with it having already been delayed once, from an original 2025 window to currently being slated for May 26, 2026. Recently, though, it's been suggested that Grand Theft Auto 6 may see a second delay into the Fall of 2026 instead. This comes from Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson, who has a long history of providing accurate industry information. According to Henderson, he has heard "rumblings" that point to another delay for GTA 6 sometime into October of next year, with him stating that "I don't think that it is gonna release in May." Though neither Rockstar nor parent company Take-Two has officially commented on this yet, and such rumors should always be taken with a dose of skepticism, another delay is certainly not outside the realm of possibility. But if this ends up happening, it may actually work further in the game's favor.

In an interesting wrinkle, the above stands in contradiction to claims by another known content creator, Luke Stephens. Stephens said that he spoke to a figure who is "pretty high up on the publishing side" and who claims that Rockstar Games is "confident that GTA 6 will hit its May 26 date."

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Rockstar confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 was in development back in 2022, with its first official trailer debuting in December 2023 and setting records for viewer counts. At that time, Rockstar had given GTA 6 its initial 2025 launch window. But this was later changed earlier this May to the above-mentioned date, putting its release roughly a year away. In light of that, a number of other titles shifted their own launches around to avoid competing with such a powerhouse IP.

Suffice to say, anticipation for GTA 6 will only accelerate the closer it gets to launch. However, the possibility of it being delayed again shouldn't be completely discounted. And if it turns out that way, it may have a knock-on effect that could see it being a bigger success than is already expected.

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The current May 26 release date for Grand Theft Auto 6 puts it in the relatively quieter Spring period, when game releases generally aren't coming at the faster pace they normally do compared to other times of the year. If it pans out that GTA 6 is pushed back to October 2026, though, there are a few reasons this might give it even more of a boost on top of the buzz it already has and will continue to see.

Grand Theft Auto 6 will likely all but eclipse any other titles that dare to drop near it regardless of when it eventually releases. And as Fall is usually the busiest time for game launches, should it arrive right as 2026's holiday season is ramping up, it's almost doubly guaranteed that GTA 6 will dominate the gaming landscape. This could result in it garnering more attention and sales beyond what it would have otherwise achieved. If another delay is in store, it may very well wind up giving GTA 6 an even greater advantage, and see it put up even more impressive record-shattering numbers and player counts than what might've been the case versus its current launch target.

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