A former Rockstar employee explained why GTA 6 is unlikely to be delayed again

Former Rockstar Games animator Mike York believes the company will no longer delay the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. This is based on his personal experience at the studio: York worked at Rockstar New England from 2012 to 2017 and was involved in the creation of GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. In his opinion, further delays now could harm the project more than help it.

York believes that for such large games, there's a limit to the amount of delays that can be tolerated. Developers typically push back release dates once or twice when absolutely necessary, but further delays begin to undermine audience interest. In the case of GTA 6, which has been anticipated for many years, another delay could lead to player fatigue and dampen excitement around the release. He also noted that November 2026 appears to be the optimal release window, as this is traditionally a lucrative sales window leading up to the Christmas season.

GTA 6's release is currently officially scheduled for November 19, 2026. The game has previously been delayed twice: first from fall 2025 to May 2026, and then to its current date. Journalist Jason Schreier emphasized that the latest delay was not related to recent layoffs at Rockstar studios, although such events could potentially impact the company's future plans.

Rockstar last shared details about GTA 6 in May 2025, when, following the initial delay, it released a second trailer and revealed information about the game's characters and world.