GTA 6 Release Window Still On Schedule, But Delays Not Ruled Out

A phased release for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC isn’t out of the question for GTA 6 if Rockstar Games wants to meet its “2025” deadline.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is always going to dominate headlines, especially now that the official trailer has been released and there is now more concrete information about the game outside of the viral leaks of September 2022. So when someone claimed that there would be a possible GTA 6 delay, the statement drew everyone to the source like moths to a flame. However, because the statement came over the weekend, most credible sources of information were unable to outright confirm or deny the GTA 6 delay.

Now that the weekend is over, it’s time for business. One of the most reliable insiders in the gaming industry has finally spoken about the release date of GTA 6. And he has good news.

The good news is that GTA 6 hasn’t been delayed. At least not as far as he knows. However, he can’t rule out Rockstar moving the release to a later date.

According to Jason Schreier’s statement on X, six Rockstar employees denied the rumors of GTA 6 delay. On the other hand, Liam, who is a staff member of GTA Base, has since said that he is cutting ties with his sources after the negative reactions he received to the information he spread last weekend.

But even Schreier was quick to temper expectations, noting that while there’s no concrete evidence of a delay, one can’t be ruled out. He stressed that the ambitious nature of the project, with GTA 6 described as a “big, ambitious game,” means it could face development issues in the future, which aligns with Take-Two Interactive’s previous descriptions of GTA 6’s potential impact on the entertainment industry as a whole.

Rockstar’s vague release window for GTA 6 — it’s sometime in 2025 or FY2026 — complicates the situation. On the one hand, it gives Rockstar a generous time frame and considerable flexibility to adjust its development schedule without necessarily announcing a formal delay.

Technically, an early 2026 release date still aligns with the company’s plans for the next fiscal year, which includes other releases such as Borderlands 4 And Mafia 4among other things.

If Rockstar delays the release of GTA 6 to early 2026, it could technically do so without the public knowing. The game would still fall within its original release window.

Rockstar Games has a history of delaying their major releases to ensure quality and polish. Virtually every major title in their portfolio has been delayed at least once, and some have been delayed multiple times. Even GTA Online, the multiplayer component of Grand Theft Auto V, saw its launch pushed back from its original target date.

Given this and the fact that the Xbox Series S release will require additional development time, it’s hoped that Xbox has learned its lesson. Black Myth: Wukong and the increased involvement in recent times, also with Enotria: The Last Song is the start of a more proactive approach for the company: Rockstar has a lot of balls in the air.

Predicting timelines for such complex projects is one of the most difficult aspects of game development. As games and game engines become more sophisticated, the potential for unforeseen obstacles that could impact the release schedule increases.

For now, at least, we can rest assured that GTA 6 will still be released in 2025 (or early 2026, if you look at the financial year).