“Delayed my pain – how could they?” But insisted that the new 2026 release date for GTA 6 is to ensure Rockstar “unlimited” to achieve its creative vision
Blog Andrew Joseph 16 May , 2025 0
As early as February, I asked Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick how confident he is about the fall-fall release window that hits GTA 6. He told me he was “really good about it.” Three months later, maybe no one was surprised, GTA 6 is postponed to May 26, 2026.
What has changed in those months? That's what I asked in my new interview to match the financial results that Take-Two just published. He said that as GTA 6 gets closer, more Poles need to “become clear”.
“As we get closer to seeking perfect titles, demand or lack of demand, as the continued polish becomes clear,” Zelnick said. “In this case, we think there is an opportunity to have a small amount of time to ensure Rockstar Games can achieve its creative vision without limitations. I certainly support this approach.”
The delay in GTA 6's out-of-funded fiscal year to the next fiscal year is a hit the company in the near term, but Zelnick told me he's still doing very well with himself, including Gearbox's Borderlands 4, Hargar 13's Mafia: Old Country: Old Country: Of course there are new games in the NBA 2K and WWE 2K 2K series.
“I'm really nice about what fiscal 26 looks like today,” he said. “Of course, although delaying my pain – how could they not? – The most important thing is to support your team in search of perfection.”
Now, the obvious next question is repeating what I asked Zelnick in February: How confident are you that Rockstar will hit on May 26, 2026? This time, Zelnick sounds more certain:
“Historically, when we set a specific date, in general, we are very good at achieving it.”
To me, this is saying that the GTA 6 won't really say it. Of course, never say it will never say it, but now the actual release date of GTA 6, if it slips again, it would be a big shock.
The release of GTA 6 trailer 2 and Rockstar’s accompanying information dump has sparked all sorts of speculation from what is expected from the largest video game ever. Some GTA fans even think that Liberty City may end up in GTA 6 at launch or as a post-launch DLC.
We have more on GTA 6 as we wait to find out All the details we have found so faroverview 70 brand new screenshotsand Expert opinions on how the GTA 6 performs on the PS5 Pro.
Wesley is the UK news editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter via @wyp100. You can reach Wesley via [email protected] or secretly visit [email protected].