Grand Theft Auto 6 Delay Concerns Are Overblown, Says Schreier

Recently, Kotaku released an article stating that the anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 6 may be pushed back to late 2025 or possibly 2026. We refrained from reporting on this as it seemed to be based on speculation rather than concrete evidence. However, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who was previously a writer at Kotaku, has now verified the delay in the release of the game.

Upon hearing the rumor, Schreier contacted sources within Rockstar Games who responded with a nonchalant attitude. While there is no concrete evidence to support a delay, it is always a possibility. However, it is still too early to make any definitive statements.

Grand Theft Auto V, the second highest-selling premium game after Minecraft with over 195 million copies sold, was originally planned for release in Spring 2013, but was later pushed back to September 17, 2013 in order to refine the game. Similarly, Red Dead Redemption 2 experienced two delays, first from late 2017 to Spring 2018 and then to October 26, 2018. Despite these setbacks, the phenomenal open world action/adventure game received widespread praise and has sold over 60 million units to date.

Despite the impressive track record and overwhelming anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6, it would not be unexpected if Rockstar decides to postpone the release of this highly-anticipated addition to the franchise. However, at present, there is no solid evidence to suggest such a delay. Despite this, the market reacted with unease after the report, causing a slight decline in Take-Two’s stock.

We are aware that Rockstar has instructed all of its more than two thousand staff members to come back to the office for five days a week. This decision aims to increase productivity and strengthen security during the final phase of GTA VI’s development. The company is clearly determined to prevent any further leaks, following the one that occurred in September 2022 and exposed details about the game’s main characters and other aspects.

Despite being leaked a little before its official announcement, the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 was released in December. The game is still set to be released in 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X.