This is the timeline of everything Rockstar Games and Take-Two have officially announced about Grand Theft Auto VI, including both delays. We only include milestones with an official source; rumours are left out.
Dates at a glance
| When it was announced | Planned release |
|---|---|
| December 2023 (first trailer) | 2025 |
| May 2024 (Take-Two earnings) | Autumn 2025 |
| 2 May 2025 (first delay) | 26 May 2026 |
| 6 November 2025 (second delay) | 19 November 2026 |
2022-2023: the reveal
4 February 2022: Rockstar confirms development
Rockstar confirms in a statement that development of the next Grand Theft Auto is “well underway”.
4 December 2023: first trailer
Rockstar releases the first trailer, set to Tom Petty’s “Love Is a Long Road” and ending with “2025”. It confirms the fictional state of Leonida, with Vice City as its main city, and Lucia as a protagonist: the first playable female lead in the main series. Rockstar released it a few hours early because the video had leaked.
2024: the window narrows
May 2024: “autumn 2025”
At Take-Two’s earnings presentation, the parent company narrows the window to autumn 2025.
2025: two delays and the second trailer
2 May 2025: first delay, to 26 May 2026
Rockstar announces that GTA VI will launch on 26 May 2026. Its statement apologises that the date is “later than you expected” and says the extra time is needed to finish the game to the expected standard.
6 May 2025: second trailer
Trailer 2 arrives, focused on Jason and Lucia, alongside screenshots and character profiles on the official site. Rockstar says it was captured on a standard PS5.
6 November 2025: second delay, to 19 November 2026
Rockstar moves the launch to Thursday 19 November 2026. It again apologises for extending the wait and says the extra months will let it finish the game “with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve”. Take-Two confirms it the same day in its earnings.
Autumn 2025: labour dispute
Rockstar dismisses more than 30 staff in the UK and Canada, citing leaks of confidential information. The British union IWGB calls it retaliation for union activity. Rockstar maintains the dismissals were for sharing confidential information.
2026: launch year
25 June 2026: pre-orders open
Pre-orders start on the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store:
- Standard Edition: €79.99 / $79.99.
- Ultimate Edition: €99.99 / $99.99.
- Upgrade from Standard to Ultimate: €20.
- Vintage Vice City Pack free with purchases made before 20 November.
- Boxed edition without a disc: it contains a download code.
27 August 2026: Extended Look on Netflix
Rockstar premieres a roughly 26-minute presentation captured on PS5 on Netflix: the first long gameplay showing, with combat, heists, chases and character switching. We break it down in the GTA 6 Extended Look.
September 2026: final marketing push
Rockstar reveals the limited-edition DualSense controller, the soundtrack album and the collector’s box (€399.99 / $399.99, game not included). At the end of the month, Game Informer publishes its cover story with new details on the map, wildlife and weather.
What comes next
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 12 November 2026 | Pre-load opens at 00:00 local time (how to pre-load) |
| 19 November 2026 | Launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S (unlock times) |
| 20 November 2026 | Last day to get the Vintage Vice City Pack |
Still without a date
- The PC version. No date or price announced.
- Multiplayer. Rockstar has not yet detailed the successor to GTA Online.
Could there be a third delay?
At this point there is no official sign of one: pre-orders are open with prices, the pre-load has a date and Rockstar’s marketing continues. Rockstar has delayed games before (GTA IV by about six months, GTA V by about five and Red Dead Redemption 2 by a year), but always announced it months ahead. The rumour of a delay to 2027 has no basis, as we explain in is GTA 6 delayed to 2027?.
For everything else, see everything we know about GTA 6.
Sources: Rockstar Games statements on its Newswire (February 2022, December 2023, 2 May 2025 and 6 November 2025) and Take-Two Interactive earnings presentations.