Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has revealed that GTA 6's current release date puts it approximately 18 months behind the original internal target — meaning the game was originally expected to launch in Spring 2025.
Speaking at an investor event, Zelnick briefly discussed the upcoming game, which is expected to enjoy the largest media launch in history when it is eventually released. "I think we're about 18 months behind the original date," Zelnick said. "Not much more than that."
"I think we're about 18 months behind the original date. Not much more than that."
— Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two CEO
The timeline revelation means GTA 6 was internally targeted for a Spring 2025 window — roughly coinciding with when Rockstar would have been wrapping up full production. The first public delay pushed it to May 18, 2026, followed by another to November 19, 2026.
Industry analysts have noted that GTA 6's extended development cycle — now confirmed at roughly 12 years from early pre-production — places it among the longest AAA cycles in history, trailing only projects like Duke Nukem Forever (14-15 years) and Star Citizen (14+ years and counting).
The cost of the delay is substantial. Between development resources, missed revenue windows, and the sheer scale of the project, securities analyst Omar Dessouky notes that keeping the game at the standard $70 price point may prove challenging for Rockstar's bottom line — even as other publishers look to GTA 6 to set the ceiling for their own pricing.