Rockstar Just Confirmed Our Biggest Fears About GTA 6
The buzz over the past week or so has strongly pointed to yet another delay for the long-in-development "Grand Theft Auto 6" from its previously announced May 26, 2026 release date. Gamers desperately hoped it wasn't true, given that it's now been nearly three years since the first official "GTA6" trailer leaked and broke the internet in December 2023. Sadly, on November 6, the dreaded announcement did indeed come — "GTA6" has been pushed all the way to November 19, 2026.
It's not as though we will be hurting for games to keep us busy next year. The list of games that will blow us away in 2026 is a long one, from long-awaited new installments in the "Fable," "Onimusha," and "State of Decay" franchises to new IP like Housemarque's "Returnal" follow-up, "Saros." Still, a new "GTA" is an entire pop culture event unto itself, and after the 12 years that have already passed since "GTA5," the extra six-month wait is going to feel excruciating.
The delay comes just after news of mass firings at Rockstar
As much as they're known for great games, Rockstar also has a rather sordid reputation from a business standpoint. The company has already been dogged by bad press lately, even before having to break the news to gamers — and investors — that "GTA6" was getting pushed back. On October 31, the Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) Game Workers Union accused Rockstar of terminating between 30 and 40 employees in retaliation against said employees either being in the union or planning to join it.
On November 6 — the same day that the "GTA6" delay was announced — there was a protest outside of the Rockstar Games offices in Edinburgh, Scotland against the company's alleged union-busting. In response to the IWGB's accusations and the subsequent protests, Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, issued the following statement (via Bloomberg): "Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies. This was in no way related to people's right to join a union or engage in union activities."