State Champ Radio Take-Two Interactive
Rockstar Games / Grand Theft Auto VI
You’re going to have to wait even longer to play Grand Theft Auto VI.
Some unfortunate news to report, gamers: Grand Theft Auto VI has once again had its release date pushed back. Take-Two Interactive announced the highly anticipated game will now drop on November 19, 2026, six months after its original May 2026 release date.
The news of the delay came during the company’s July-September quarterly earnings results.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick didn’t provide a reason for the delay in a letter to shareholders but did note, “we remain both excited and confident they will deliver an unrivalled blockbuster entertainment experience.”
Take-Two also says that recent firings in the UK, which led to the video game company being accused of “union busting,” had nothing to do with the delay.
A statement from Rockstar disputes those claims, noting that the fired staffers “were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies” and the cuts were “in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.”
“These two matters are entirely separate, and the reasons that we’ve given for each,” a spokesperson for Take-Two said Thursday. “And I think to conflate the two would not only be misleading, it would be highly erroneous. So these are two entirely separate issues.”
Rockstar Games Shares New Grand Theft Auto VI Release Date
In a separate statement on X (formerly Twitter), Rockstar Games revealed the new release date and shared more insight into the delay.
“Hi everyone, Grand Theft Auto VI will now release on Thursday, November 19, 2026. We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve. We want to thank you again for your patience and support. While the wait is a little longer, we are incredibly excited for players to experience the sprawling state of Leonida and a return to modern day Vice City. Sincerely, Rockstar Games”
Honestly, take your time, Rockstar Games, because Grand Theft Auto VI has to be nothing short of a masterpiece.
Social media is reacting to the news of GTA VI’s latest delay. You can see those reactions below.
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Source: Rockstar Games / GTA 6
We don’t have an exact date for when we will return to Vice City in GTA 6, but the window for the highly anticipated game’s release did narrow a bit.
Rockstar Games’ parent company, Take-Two Interactive, revealed in its Q4 2024 earnings report that Grand Theft Auto 6 will arrive in fall 2025.
While that’s not an exact date, it’s a slight update from the more vague “coming 2025” release window.
“Our outlook reflects a narrowing of Rockstar Games’ previously established window of Calendar 2025 to Fall of Calendar 2025 for Grand Theft Auto VI,” Take-Two Chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick said in the report. “We are highly confident that Rockstar Games will deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience, and our expectations for the commercial impact of the title continue to increase.”
In an interview with Variety, speaking on the game’s fall 2025 release window, Zelnick added, “I think we’re going to leave it there for now.”
GTA 6’s Rollout Marred By Leaks
Gamers shouldn’t be surprised by the vagueness. Rockstar Games plays it very close to the chest for its games, especially Grand Theft Auto.
Information about the game in the form of leaked materials hitting X, formerly Twitter timelines, September 2022.
Then, the game studio had to release GTA 6’s trailer earlier than planned when a bunch of crypto dweebs leaked it.
The trailer confirmed that the game will feature two male and female protagonists and take us to Leonida, the GTA equivalent of Florida, and we will spend most of our time in Vice City, the game’s take on Miami.
With any news regarding GTA 6, the reactions are pouring in. Some are excited that we seem to be getting closer to a release date, while others want to know the EXACT day we can expect to boot up the game.
With this game, we want Rockstar Games to take its time and deliver a game on the same level as GTA V.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Challenge accepted
4. A perspective we can get behind.
12. Now why would you say that?
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / Take-Two
Even with games like Grand Theft Auto V, the forthcoming GTA 6, and the NBA 2K franchise under its belt, Take-Two Interactive is the latest video game publisher that will reduce its workforce and drop projects.
Spotted on The Verge, Take-Two announced it will lay off “approximately five percent” of its global workforce and scrap several projects already in development.
In an SEC filing published Tuesday, the company said it was “streamlining its organizational structure, which will eliminate headcount and reduce future hiring needs.”
Take-Two says that its “cost reduction program” will see the company be subject to charges up to $200 million, hoping to save $165 million a year.
The website reports that Take-Two’s downsizing efforts should be “largely completed” by December 31st, 2024.
As for the workers, a 5% reduction in the workforce would amount to around 579 out of the company’s 11,580 employees, which Take-Two disclosed in a previous impact report.
There is no word on what departments the layoffs will happen in or what projects Take-Two will be cutting. GTA 6 will feel the sting of these cost-cutting measures.
Of course, the news is not sitting well with gamers who tire of hearing about layoffs in an incredibly profitable industry.
Oh, and we can’t forget that Take-Two Interactive is still working on purchasing Borderlands developer Gearbox from The Embracer Group for $460 million.
“They’re doing this a year out from releasing the sequel to the most commercially successful game of all time,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, said.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
2. Follow his lead
9. It better not
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