Fans speculate real reason for GTA 6 delay as Rockstar making shocking statement

This is why we can't have nice things. After 12 years of waiting, the video game industry is once again teaching us why patience is a virtue, thanks to Rockstar Games delaying the much-hyped Grand Theft Auto 6…once again.

Being a tool of its own demise, the runaway success of 2013's GTA V and its online component has brought in billions over the years to become the most profitable entertainment product of all time.

It's said that preliminary work on the next Grand Theft Auto started back in 2014, with Rockstar Games entering full production following the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2020. While the harshest critics say the developer has had more than enough time to cook on this gaming Goliath, it seems GTA 6 needs a little longer in the oven.

GTA 6 had already been pushed to May 2026, but ruining 2025 for us all, Rockstar has confirmed it's now been bumped even further to November next year. This means there's a whole 12 months more until we'll be able to explore the neon-splashed vistas of a modern Vice City while playing as Jason or Lucia.

Rockstar's official stance is that GTA 6 is coming next November, with Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick announcing the grim news during the publisher's Q2 2026 quarterly earnings presentation.

Here, Zelnick put the rumors to bed, later telling The Games Business: "We feel really good about this release date. It’s in the same fiscal year, it happens to be a great release window, and naturally we’re really supportive of Rockstar’s approach.

"It’s not that far in advance if you look at when you need to deliver a game to get it out. Also, we have to start marketing activities in a significant amount of time ahead of release. What we want to do is give consumers as much certainty as possible. And again, we feel quite good about this date."

Still, tongues have been wagging because the latest delay comes in the immediate aftermath of over 30 employees being fired after the developer claimed they were leaking GTA 6 spoilers to non-Rockstar people via Discord.

Rockstar has been battling allegations that the dozens of employees were fired amid union busting tactics, but either way, some are convinced this has had a knock-on effect, resulting in the delay.

Video game journalist Jason Schreier has dispelled this wild notion, claiming: "This delay was not due to the firings last Thursday. While the fallout from those firings could certainly have a long-term impact on the project and lead to more missed deadlines in the future — due to those vacant roles, protracted legal battles, morale loss, etc. — the game did not slip 6 months because 34 people were fired a week ago. It was announced today because Take-Two reported earnings today."

That's good enough for many, with social media uproar following the news. One person said: "Employees were trying to get fair pay and hours, so we fired them and now you also have to suffer the consequences. Image being both anti-employee and anti-consumer at the same time."

Another added: "40 people yanked out of a project they're all working on, that now all must be replaced, their replacements also will need time to get up to speed. In an industry like game development it can take 6 months for a new employee to reach full effectiveness. If even one of these 40 roles was vital that could cause a delay, and we've been told some of them were Leads. It'll also fuck with the morale of anyone that wasn't fired."

A third made a pretty depressing analysis as they concluded: "It's actually sad to think some mega fans have died while waiting for this to come out."