Insider claims GTA 6 is "content ready" and doesn't expect another release date delay

After digesting the latest GTA 6 release date delay, many fans are wondering how much more development time remains. Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming has heard that the Rockstar Games project is “content ready”. Because the game only requires final touches, he anticipates that GTA 6 will finally launch in November 2026.

Henderson has been reliable when predicting GTA 6 news. Verified leaks include warning audiences prior to the latest postponement. His comments also align with Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick’s explanation during a recent earnings call. According to Zelnick, “more time is required to polish” to ensure the title releases in its “best possible form”.

Of course, what content ready means for a game is a matter of debate. Rockstar Games may have rendered the bulk of its graphics and recorded the necessary voice acting. A playable build could even exist, closely guarded by the company’s stringent security. Still, publishers also use the term “polish” casually, when large parts of a game may need reworking.

During the Insider Gaming podcast, Henderson highlighted how determined Rockstar is to squash any bugs. Compared to past eras, some developers are more willing to launch a game in an unfinished state. The expectation is that they will solve issues post-release, but that’s not the approach with GTA 6. Also, if its open world is massive in scope, that may lead to an unusually long debugging phase.

Many modern games are released with bugs

The philosophy of when to declare a game finished can also differ within a company. Zelnick attributed the slower-than-expected Borderlands 4 sales to performance hitches on PCs. Take-Two owns 2K Games, the publisher of the looter shooter. He hinted that it would have benefited from additional optimization before shipping.

Not all followers believe that the GTA 6 release date will avoid another delay. If it is nearly complete, Rockstar is willing to pay a steep price for perfection. Henderson projects that the game will incur an additional $10 million per month in development costs until it debuts.