Rockstar Announces 'Grand Theft Auto VI' Release Delay and Fans Aren't Happy: 'We Are Very Sorry'

Grand Theft Auto VI now has a release date, accompanied by a public apology from Rockstar Games. Indeed, despite the widely held assumption that 2025 would be the year that GTA fans’ patience would be rewarded, we now have confirmation of that most certainly not being the case.

Friday morning (May 2), the Rockstar team said they were “very sorry” to not be releasing the much-anticipated game sooner.

“Grand Theft Auto VI is now set to release on May 26, 2026,” the NYC-based video game publisher said. “We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game.”

The Rockstar rep continued, “With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve. We look forward to sharing more information with you soon.”

The delay shouldn’t be a total shock. Speculation has been high since at least March of last year that the game’s release could be pushed back, perhaps significantly. In 2023, a trailer was released, complete with a closing tease of “coming 2025.”

The 90-second trailer, soundtracked by Tom Petty’s “Love Is a Long Road,” broke a YouTube record when it amassed over 93 million views in just 24 hours. The title has also been the subject of alleged leaks over the years, only adding to the otherworldly hype surrounding its lengthy rollout.

As such, it’s fitting that Friday’s 2026 drop date announcement was met with some impassioned responses from teary-eyed fans. See some of that in action below.