BBC Newsbeat
Getty ImagesGrand Theft Auto 6 – one of the most eagerly awaited releases of all time – has been delayed until May 2026.
The sequel in developer Rockstar Games’ record-breaking video game series was due to be released on consoles later this year.
But it told fans it needed extra time to “deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve”.
The previous game in the series, GTA 5, is the second-best selling video game of all time and remains extremely popular thanks to its online mode.
Little official information on GTA 6 has emerged since a trailer for the game was released in December 2023, quickly reaching over 100m views.
The 90-second clip revealed two main protagonists, and a glimpse of the game’s fictional, Florida-inspired setting Leonida.
In its statement, Rockstar said the “interest and excitement” in the game had been “truly humbling for our entire team”.
The company is known for its long development cycles and the 12-year gap since GTA 5’s release has sparked a wave of jokes and memes online.
It also has a track record of delaying major releases, such as 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2 – the studio’s last big new game.
But Rockstar is also known for its perfectionist approach and Straus Zelnick, CEO of parent company Take Two Interactive, previously said each new game from the developer “needs to be something you’ve never seen before”.
‘I’m getting impatient at this point’
Dienne KawendeNews of the delay has landed hard with fans such as Dienne Kawende, 27.
“I’m absolutely furious right now,” he tells BBC Newsbeat.
“There’s fire flowing through my body right now.”
GTA 6 will only be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox at launch, meaning owners of older consoles will need to upgrade to play it.
Sony and Microsoft recently announced price increases for both machines.
“This year, I literally got a job just to save up to get a Playstation 5,” says Dienne.
“It’s all ruined now.”
Although he praises Rockstar for making “amazing” and complex games, the 12-year wait is getting too much for him.
“I’m getting really impatient at this point,” he says.
“When GTA 5 came out, I was in school. I was a teenager. I might start having kids soon.
“I might not even have time to play GTA 6 when it comes out.”
GTA 6 is expected to break sales records when it is released, possibly surpassing its predecessor, the highest-grossing video game launch of all time.
The global video games industry has been hit by waves of studio closures and layoffs over the past two years.
It was hoped that a new Rockstar release might inspire more people to buy a new console, or drive interest in gaming more widely.
However, it does mean that other publishers who might have been holding off on announcing new games out of fear of clashing with GTA 6 might now look to release theirs before the end of this year.
