Fans of Grand Theft Auto, there's both good and bad news to share. The good news is that after years of waiting, we finally have a confirmed release date for GTA 6. The bad news? It's been pushed back by about six months from the initial 'Fall 2025' window. For many in the gaming industry, the new launch date of May 26, 2026, comes as a welcome relief—numerous publishers and developers had been anxious about scheduling their own major releases alongside such a colossal title. Now, a number of other high-profile games planned for next year may need to hurriedly adjust their launch schedules.
It's clear that Grand Theft Auto 6 has become a pivotal force for the gaming industry's immediate future—any update about its development creates massive ripples. So, what does a six-month delay say about shifts in Rockstar's corporate culture, and how might it impact this year’s console market revenue and even the Nintendo Switch 2?
Last year, total video game industry revenue reached $184.3 billion, a marginal increase of 0.2% compared to 2023. Defying analyst predictions of a slight decline, the figures brought relief to manufacturers and publishers alike. However, console-specific revenue fell by 1%, and we're already seeing the effects. A dip in hardware sales, coupled with escalating tech tariffs, has pushed up prices for both Microsoft and Sony. This console generation desperately needs a system-selling blockbuster—it needs Grand Theft Auto 6.
Research groups estimate the upcoming crime sequel could earn $1 billion from pre-orders alone and $3.2 billion within its first year. Grand Theft Auto 5 reached $1 billion in just three days—could GTA 6 achieve that in 24 hours? Circana analyst Mat Piscatella notes, "There’s probably never been a more important release in the industry," as the game’s performance will shape our understanding of the market’s growth potential for the next ten years. There are even rumors it could be the first $100 video game, setting a new industry benchmark. Such a milestone could provide the growth boost analysts say the sector needs—though some worry GTA 6 might be such a massive outlier that it fails to drive broader industry progress.
Back in 2018, Rockstar Games faced a public relations crisis. Reports of 100-hour workweeks and mandatory overtime during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2, along with accounts from past and current employees about intense crunch periods dating back to Grand Theft Auto 4, painted a troubling picture of one of gaming's giants. Since then, the company has reportedly reformed internally—a Bloomberg report highlighted policies like converting contractors to full-time staff and implementing flexitime that compensates overtime with time off. Earlier this year, however, Rockstar’s old reputation seemed to resurface when staff were required to return to the office five days a week to finalize GTA 6—a decision that makes the recent delay understandable. As Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier noted on BlueSky, Rockstar insiders cited "too much work, not enough time, and a clear management goal to avoid brutal crunch." Rockstar cannot deliver a game that reshapes the industry if it reverts to unsustainable practices; while the delay is a letdown for players, it’s undoubtedly a relief for the development team.
This console generation needs a definitive, system-selling title—it needs Grand Theft Auto 6.
For any publisher, launching a game alongside Grand Theft Auto 6 is like pouring a bucket of water into a tsunami. Reflecting on the original 'Fall 2025' launch window, a report by The Game Business illustrated how the vague date unsettled studios worldwide. One studio head described Rockstar's title as "a huge meteor, and we’ll just have to stay clear of the blast zone," while another wondered, "If we move out of 2025, what if Rockstar does too?" (A concern that proved warranted). Even EA CEO Andrew Wilson hinted at the game’s looming influence in discussions about the new Battlefield, noting "some things happening in the year that may cause us to rethink our launch timing."
That said, major releases don’t always eclipse everything around them. Despite launching alongside Bethesda’s Oblivion remake, Kepler Interactive’s original RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sold over a million copies in its first three days, with senior portfolio manager Matt Handrahan quipping that it was the industry’s "Barbenheimer" moment. It’s hard to imagine a similar scenario for GTA 6, though—so don’t expect a "Grand Theft Fable" phenomenon in 2026.
At the moment, it’s uncertain how much Rockstar’s May 26, 2026, date will disrupt other publishers’ and developers’ roadmaps. Several heavy-hitter titles—including Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, EA’s new Battlefield, the Mass Effect-inspired Exodus, and others—still lack release dates. Some developers are surely scrambling to adjust their internal calendars, though the public likely won’t notice. Now that Rockstar has staked its claim, other companies may feel more confident announcing their own schedules—though they might want to wait a bit longer.
It’s quite possible this isn’t the final release date for Grand Theft Auto 6, for two key reasons. Both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 were each delayed twice—first into the second quarter of the following year, then again into the third quarter. GTA 6 appears to be following the same pattern, shifting from Fall 2025 to May 2026, so another delay to October or November 2026 seems a reasonable prediction.
An October/November launch appears even more likely when you consider the potential for Microsoft and Sony to create special console bundles featuring the game, boosting holiday sales. For instance, Sony sold 6.4 million PlayStation 4 units between October and December 2014—more than double the units sold from April to September that year. While holiday shopping played a role, another key factor was at play: Grand Theft Auto 5 launched on PS4 during that period.
Rockstar has only one chance to get this right—what’s an extra six months after a 13-year wait?
Perhaps the bigger surprise is that Nintendo could be significantly impacted by this delay. Recently, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed full support for the Switch 2, leading to speculation that GTA 6 might also target the platform. The surprise launch of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch set a precedent for mature titles on a family-friendly console. Many assumed the original Switch wasn’t powerful enough for a game like GTA, but last year modders released a video of an in-progress port of GTA 5 running on Switch using leaked source code. While it’s unlikely Nintendo banked on GTA 6 for the Switch 2’s first-year success, the strong relationship between Take-Two and Nintendo shouldn’t be overlooked. In the broader console market, Nintendo remains a major player, no matter how distinct its approach. The Switch already hosted a range of generation-defining games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption, Metal Gear Solid, and Crysis. And with Cyberpunk 2077—including the Phantom Liberty expansion—launching on Switch 2, we shouldn’t dismiss the possibility of "miracle" ports.
Clearly, an enormous amount is riding on Grand Theft Auto 6. Many industry leaders, from studio heads to top analysts, believe this generation-defining game will break the industry’s growth stagnation. It’s impossible to ignore the global frenzy for a title that’s been in development for over a decade. The teams at Rockstar Games face immense pressure to deliver an experience that not only helps restore the industry to pre-pandemic growth levels, but also sets a new standard for developers and publishers going forward. Rockstar has only one shot to get this right—what’s another six months after 13 years?
