GTA 6 release window could get pushed back to 2026

Rockstar Games confirmed earlier it would launch the hotly-anticipated GTA 6 (Grand Theft Auto 6) sometime in 2025. Subsequently, a leaker claimed it will be playable on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X on February 15. Kotaku has now learned that we might have to wait a lot longer to dive into Vice City for a second time.

There is a possibility that GTA 6 won't be launched until 2026. However, that seems to be a backup plan and not the norm. Rockstar still aims to get GTA 6 out of the door sometime in 2025, but a February launch seems unlikely. Gamers looking to play on PC will have to wait for a year or so more regardless of when the game drops on consoles.

Rockstar employees also told Kotaku they're sceptical about returning to the office full-time because it results in brutally long working hours, especially when a game's launch date approaches. Whether or not this will affect GTA 6's launch window remains to be seen.

If GTA 6 gets pushed back to 2026, it'll be thirteen years since the initial GTA 5 launch, one of the longest ever in gaming history. Rockstar has supposedly set aside a whopping 2 billion dollars for GTA 6, making it one of the most expensive games ever released. This includes initial development costs, marketing budget and resources for future content.