GTA 6 Guide — Everything Confirmed & Release Date (2026)

Grand Theft Auto VI is just around the corner, which means news and rumors are flying around constantly. So, where do you go to get all the up-to-date and factual information on GTA VI? Right here in this article, of course.

Below, in chronological order, are all the news and major events surrounding this highly anticipated release. Please enjoy.

The “Next Title in the GTA Series” made known – [15/04/2020]

Hidden in a Kotaku article by Jason Schreier detailing the improved culture and workplace changes at Rockstar Games, a mention of a new entry in the GTA series emerges, though it is still in early development, so there is not much reason for excitement just yet.

At least we knew that it was coming at this point.

GTA 6 Announced – [02/02/2022]

Rockstar Games officially acknowledged the existence of GTA VI in February 2022 in their community update alongside the announcement of Grand Theft Auto V’s PS5 and Xbox Series S|X release. 

The announcement itself only confirmed that the development of the next entry in the series was “well underway”. At this point, Rockstar Games didn’t reveal the title of GTA VI, but only referred to it as the next entry. Details of its characters and setting were not revealed either.

We now know that GTA VI entered pre-production immediately after the release of GTA V, and rumors about its Bonnie and Clyde protagonist dynamic, as well as the introduction of a Latina female lead character, were reported by Jason Schreier in 2022, a few months after the initial announcement.

During the Q4 Fiscal Year 2025 Conference Call, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI began development “in earnest” in 2020 after the launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018.

Major Leaks – [18/09/2022]

Not even a year after being announced, serious leaks containing nearly 50 minutes of in-development footage hit the internet, leading Rockstar to acknowledge the hack and put out the following statement:

“We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorised third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto. At this time, we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects.

“We are extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared with you all in this way. Our work on the next Grand Theft Auto game will continue as planned and we remain as committed as ever to delivering an experience to you, our players, that truly exceeds your expectations. We will update everyone again soon and, of course, will properly introduce you to this next game when it is ready. We want to thank everyone for their ongoing support through this situation.” 

The hacker, who was part of a larger group, used Slack to access confidential information within Rockstar’s communication and attempted to negotiate a deal with the company. This didn’t work out in their favor as they were caught and convicted.

GTA 6 Trailer 1 Revealed – [05/12/2023]

In November 2023, Sam Houser, president of Rockstar Games, announced that the first trailer for GTA VI would be released in December 2023 to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary.

Following a leak on Twitter, Rockstar debuted the trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI on YouTube. It broke the record for the most views on a non-music YouTube video in a single day within just 12 hours, and it is currently sitting at 237 million views.

The trailer confirmed several rumors, notably about its lead couple, Lucia and Jason, and the setting being Vice City, a fictionalized version of Miami. It also confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI takes place in the present day, as seen through modern vehicles, current technology, references to recent real-world incidents, and social media feeds similar to Instagram and TikTok featured throughout the trailer, despite earlier rumors suggesting it would be set in the 80s.

During the trailer, we get a first look at a slew of modified vehicles, street races, strip and dance clubs filled with patrons and entertainers, crowded beaches with an impressive diversity of NPCs, a variety of animals across several habitats, and highly detailed interiors reminiscent of what we saw in Red Dead Redemption 2. 

The intent of this trailer seems to be setting the tone and stage for the world of Grand Theft Auto VI and all the absurdity and attention to detail that comes with it. While Jason is featured, the spotlight is largely on Lucia. At the title drop, a 2025 release window was announced, which we now know was not feasible, as GTA VI has since been delayed to late 2026. The trailer also confirmed that the game is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series S|X, with no mention of a PC release.

GTA 6 Delay Announcement – [02/05/2025]

Originally planned for 2025, Rockstar announced in May 2025 that the release date for GTA 6 was pushed to May 26, 2026. This didn’t come as a surprise to many, as previous Rockstar releases suffered similar delays, and the company confirmed that they require more time to ensure the high level of polish expected from them.

GTA 6 Trailer 2 Revealed – [05/05/2025]

Just a few days after the delay announcement, Rockstar debuted the second trailer for GTA 6, this time featuring a mix of gameplay and cinematics, captured entirely on a PS5.

The second trailer gave us an extended look at Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, with a much larger focus on them as a romantic couple reunited after Lucia serves time. The timeline in the trailer is deliberately all over the place, but it also introduces some of the characters that both Jason and Lucia will interact with, including Boobie Ike, Brian Heder, Cal Hampton, Dre’Quan Priest, Raul Bautista, and Real Dimez.

Rockstar also launched an official, highly interactive website for GTA 6 that includes details on its main characters, the various locations in the state of Leonida, along with several high-quality assets available to download. This is arguably the biggest information dump Rockstar has released for the title so far, further cementing GTA 6 as the most anticipated release of the current generation.

GTA 6 Second Delay Announced – [06/11/2025]

In November 2026, Rockstar announced a second delay for Grand Theft Auto VI, pushing its release from 2025 to November 11, 2026. The reason cited for the delay was the need for additional time to polish the game.

Since this delay, Straus Zelnick told IGN in November 2025 that he’s confident in the new release date, barring any “limited circumstances where more time was required to polish a title”. He went on to reaffirm his confidence in the launch date earlier this month (February 2026) on CNBC.

GTA 6 Marketing Planned to Kick off in Summer – [Q3 2026 Fiscal Report]

In the Take-Two Interactive Q3 Fiscal Year 2026 Conference Call, Strauss Zelnick confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI’s marketing is set to begin this Summer (2026). Here’s the full relevant quote:

"Our execution throughout Fiscal 2026 has been extraordinary and we are highly confident as we approach Fiscal 2027 – which promises to be groundbreaking for Take-Two and the entire entertainment industry – led by the November 19th release of Grand Theft Auto VI with Rockstar’s launch marketing set to begin this Summer. With ongoing momentum in our business, coupled with our robust forward release schedule, we continue to project record levels of Net Bookings in Fiscal 2027, which we believe will establish a higher financial baseline, set us on a path to enhanced profitability, and provide further balance sheet strength and flexibility."

If it really does play out this way, you can expect detailed gameplay trailers showcasing the various systems and world interactions to start coming out this summer, as Rockstar did for Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2.

GTA 6 AI Usage

According to Strauss Zelnick, in conversation with GamesIndustry.biz, Rockstar Games has not used any generative AI in the development of Grand Theft Auto VI.

"Specifically with regards to GTA 6, Generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building. Their worlds are handcrafted. That's what differentiates them. They're built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood. They're not procedurally generated, they shouldn't be. That's what makes great entertainment."

GTA 6 Current Release Date and Platforms

Grand Theft Auto VI is coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X on November 11, 2026.

As of now, a PC version hasn’t been announced. I expect the PC version to be released after a year, similar to Red Dead Redemption 2

We will continue to update this article as more information comes out about Grand Theft Auto VI.