GTA 6 Release Delayed to November 2026 for Additional Polish

Take-Two Interactive's Rockstar Games has delayed the release of "Grand Theft Auto VI" to November 19, 2026. This marks a second delay, pushing it back six months from the previously announced May 2026 release date. Take-Two announced the delay alongside its July-September quarterly earnings results.

Reasons for the Delay

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick did not specify a reason for the delay in his letter to shareholders. However, he stated, "we remain both excited and confident they will deliver an unrivalled blockbuster entertainment experience." Zelnick told Variety that Rockstar Games believes "a limited amount of additional time is required for polish".

Rockstar Games posted a statement on X stating the delay will "allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve."

Impact on Other Game Releases

The delay of GTA 6 will likely impact the release schedules of other major titles. Publishers are wary of releasing games close to a new GTA title due to its potential to dominate audience attention and spending. As one publisher told The Game Business, a new GTA game "will suck up the majority of the audience’s money — and, perhaps more importantly, available playtime".

With the new November 19, 2026 release date, publishers now have a specific date to avoid. Rockstar Games picking a late date "has almost done its rivals a favor; GTA 6 is big enough to soak up the competition from Black Friday, and the whole of October is still up for grabs," according to Polygon.

Games Potentially Affected

Several major titles could be affected by the GTA 6 delay:

• Marvel's Wolverine: Insomniac Games' PS5 exclusive may target an early October release to avoid GTA 6.
• Forza Horizon 6, Gears of War: E-Day, and Fable: Microsoft faces a "tricky programming challenge" with these major Xbox series revivals.
• Call of Duty: After an "underwhelming launch of Black Ops 7", Microsoft and Activision "have a lot to prove with 2026’s offering" and may need to secure a late October/early November slot.
• Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra: Skydance New Media's debut title "is exactly the kind of game that could get obliterated by GTA 6 if Skydance and publisher Plaion don’t get the release date right".

Take-Two's Financials

Along with the delay announcement, Take-Two updated its release calendar to include "BioShock next iteration" from 2K and "Top Goal" from Zynga, both with "TBA" launch dates. Take-Two reported a GAAP net loss of 73 cents per share (or $133.9 million) on $1.77 billion in revenue. Net bookings were $1.96 billion and non-GAAP earnings stood at $116.7 million.

Top revenue drivers for the quarter included "NBA 2K26” and “NBA 2K25,” “Borderlands 4,” “Toon Blast,” “Grand Theft Auto Online” and “Grand Theft Auto V,” “Match Factory!,” “Color Block Jam,” “Mafia: The Old Country,” “Empires & Puzzles,” “Words With Friends,” “Red Dead Redemption 2” and “Red Dead Online,” and “Toy Blast". Take-Two is now projecting net bookings between $1.55 billion and $1.6 billion for the October-December period and a net loss per share between 49 cents and 35 cents. The company has raised the estimated net bookings for its current full fiscal year (ending March 31, 2026) to between $6.4 billion and $6.5 billion.

Ensuring Quality

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told IGN that "when our competitors go to market before something was ready, bad things happen." Zelnick told The Game Business that the company feels good about the date, stating, "We feel really good about this release date. It’s in the same fiscal year, it happens to be a great release window, and naturally we’re really supportive of Rockstar’s approach.”

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