GTA VI has been delayed (again) and will now launch on November 19, 2026. That’s six months after its previously announced May 26, 2026, launch date—and roughly a year after it was initially slated to launch in Fall 2025.
It means there will be a 13 year chasm between GTA V and GTA VI when the latter does eventually hit shelves, but according to Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, that’s how long it takes to achieve perfection.
Discussing the latest delay on the U.S. publisher’s Q2 2026 earnings call, Zelnick said Grand Theft Auto has become the “standard-bearer” for the company and claimed GTA V is perhaps still the most technologically advanced title on the market despite launching on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It has, of course, received extensive updates and hopped across hardware generations over the years.
Without commenting directly on the inner workers of Rockstar—which was recently accused of union busting by a group of ousted employees in the UK—Zelnick praised the culture at the studio and said the entire team is “pushing hard to seek perfection.”
“GTA V, as you know, has been the standard-bearer not just for our company, but for the industry through three console generations, and to this day is still, I would argue, the most technologically advanced title in the marketplace despite that it’s more than a decade old. And that doesn’t happen by accident. So it’s—Rockstar’s culture is one of performance. Take-Two’s culture as a whole, which is reflected in all of our labels is one of seeking excellence teamwork and kindness. And that’s a recipe that works really, really well,” said Zelnick.
“I can’t deny that at any given time, if things don’t go exactly as you’d like, there’s some disappointment. But we’re pretty good about brushing ourselves off and picking ourselves up and playing another day. And we’ve always done that. We learned from things that don’t go as well as we’d like, and we aim to exceed all expectations, our own and those of our consumers. And we, frankly, rarely fall short, but we don’t let that divert us either because we just try harder. And I think that defines what Rockstar is doing now and how they’re feeling now.”
Yesterday, Zelnick told IGN he is “highly confident” this is the last time GTA VI will be delayed and reiterated the extra runway will be used to make ensure the long-awaited sequel is “spectacular.”
Grand Theft Auto VI delay announced alongside ‘outstanding’ second quarter results
They delay was communicated alongside Take-Two Interactive’s financial results for the second quarter ended September 30, 2025—in which Zelnick and other execs explained the company is ticking over rather nicely.
Take-Two recorded net bookings of $1.96 billion during Q2, which vastly exceeded internal expectations.
“We had many achievements during the period: 2K launched three major titles, including NBA 2K26, which set multiple records and has been delivering an unprecedented level of in-game spending; our mobile business outperformed substantially, driven by our teams’ unparalleled innovation in Live Services; and Grand Theft Auto Online continued to benefit from its highly-engaged community,” said Zelnick.
The long-serving chief exec noted that Mafia: The Old Country quickly surpassed internal expectations and affirmed Take-Two’s belief that consumers still crave “premium, narrative-driven experiences.”
Borderlands 4 received a more uneven appraisal, with Zelinick praising the title for winning over critics and delivering the highest Steam concurrent player count in the history of the franchise, while acknowledging technical issued also dominated the conversation at launch. It’s unclear how many copies have actually been sold, but Zelnick said he remains confident the shooter will “achieve strong unit sales over its lifetime.”
As has become the norm, Grand Theft Auto V continues to expand its audience and has now surpassed 220 million lifetime sales. “Players remain deeply engaged with Grand Theft Auto Online, which added holiday-themed jobs and rewards, as well as new vehicles, community events and outfits. GTA+ continued to increase its membership, achieving over 20 percent growth year-over-year,” added Zelnick.
Take-Two is confident Grand Theft Auto VI will deliver a “record-breaking launch” due to the overwhelming success of its predecessor. The company now expects to achieve record levels of net bookings in Fiscal 2027 when the twice-delayed sequel hits shelves.
