Summary
- Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick says development on Grand Theft Auto 6 began "in earnest" in 2020.
- Zelnick's use of the phrase "in earnest" alludes to pre-production likely beginning after Red Dead Redemption 2 shipped in 2018.
- Grand Theft Auto 6 will release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2026.
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has divulged new information on the development timeline for Rockstar Games' next title, Grand Theft Auto 6. As the most recent entry in the series was first released in 2013, fans have been eager to know how long Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in development at Rockstar Games. According to Zelnick, the title began development "in earnest" in 2020, following the hugely successful launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018.
For fans of the GTA series, waiting for Grand Theft Auto 6 has been like riding a wild rollercoaster. The first unofficial look at the highly anticipated title came in 2022, when developer Rockstar Games suffered a massive leak, revealing tons of alpha gameplay footage from the next Grand Theft Auto game. The studio then fully revealed the title in December 2023 with an internet-breaking first trailer. Development then continued, and Rockstar Games went dark for well over 500 days. Finally, after a year and a half of silence, the second trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 was finally released last week, giving fans their best look yet at the characters, location, and potential new gameplay features.
Fans Spot a Controversial Detail in GTA 6 Screenshot
One of the new GTA 6 screenshots includes a detail that may reignite one of the video game industry's most debated controversies.
Grand Theft Auto 6 Began Development 'In Earnest' In 2020
In a new interview with IGN, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed that development on Grand Theft Auto 6 began "in earnest" in 2020. However, the use of the phrase "in earnest" suggests that some form of pre-production on the title likely began beforehand. While Zelnick alludes to full production kicking off just five years ago, IGN notes that the earliest stages of development may have started after the release of the hugely popular Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018. Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently targeting a May 26, 2026, release date following news of a delay from its initial window of Fall 2025, meaning the title will have had approximately 8 years of development time. That's assuming that pre-production started immediately after Red Dead Redemption 2.
Further details surrounding gaming's most anticipated title were revealed on May 15 thanks to Take-Two Interactive's new quarterly earnings call. While Rockstar Games develops and publishes the Grand Theft Auto series, the studio is owned by Take-Two Interactive. During yesterday's call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick also explained the reasoning behind Grand Theft Auto 6's disappointing delay. According to the CEO, the title is "seeking perfection" and requires "continued polish" to meet the expectations set by Rockstar Games.
After revealing the title in 2023, it was confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 would be launching for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in Fall 2025. As the release window approached, rumors of a delay quickly began circulating online. Then, earlier this month, Rockstar Games confirmed the disappointing news and set a new release date for Grand Theft Auto 6: May 26, 2026. There are still concerns among fans that a second delay could occur, but Zelnick has reassured fans by noting that the studio has historically been "very good" about achieving specific release dates once set.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- November 19, 2026
- ESRB
- Rating Pending - Likely Mature 17+
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
