According to reliable industry sources, Rockstar Games has internally pushed back the release of Grand Theft Auto VI from fall 2025 to 2026. Gaming journalist Jason Schreier reports that Rockstar developers have believed for months that the originally suggested 2025 window was never realistic, given the massive workload remaining.
The delay marks a significant shift in Rockstar’s development philosophy. The studio is prioritizing employee well-being by deliberately avoiding the “brutal crunch” that characterized previous projects like GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2. Both games reportedly involved extensive overtime and led to severe employee burnout.
This change lines up with growing industry pressure to improve working conditions. After years of criticism about its workplace culture, Rockstar appears to be making good on promises to create a healthier environment for its staff while maintaining its reputation for delivering polished blockbuster titles.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for the next installment in gaming’s most profitable franchise. GTA V has sold over 200 million copies and generated over $8 billion in revenue since its 2013 release, making it the highest-grossing entertainment product of all time. Expectations for GTA VI have reached fever pitch after an 11-year gap between mainline entries.
The extra development time will likely benefit the game’s scope and quality. The first trailer revealed a return to Vice City with the series’ first female protagonist, showcasing stunning visuals that push current console hardware to its limits. The game has been confirmed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with no PC release date mentioned yet.
While Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, hasn’t made an official announcement about the delay, it’s worth noting that both GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 also faced multiple postponements before their eventual launches. The longer timeline also means GTA Online will keep raking in plenty of revenue while fans wait for the sequel.
Since when did corporations care about crunch time?
This delay could be a sign of a broader shift in the industry. As development costs for AAA games keep climbing and players get more demanding, more studios might follow Rockstar’s example by choosing healthier development schedules over rushing to meet deadlines. The super positive feedback from fans backing better working conditions shows gamers are happy to wait if it means games are made under better circumstances.
