‘Grand Theft Auto VI’ video game Set to Launch November 2026
SAN FRANCISCO: The newest installment to the “Grand Theft Auto” video game franchise has been delayed again, this time until November 2026, its creators revealed on Wednesday.
“We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realise has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve,” Rockstar Games said in a post on X.
The game’s release, originally delayed from late 2025 to early 2026, has now been officially scheduled by Rockstar for November 19, 2026.
Shares of Rockstar-parent Take-Two Interactive sank more than 8% in after-hours trades.
News of the delay surfaced the same day dozens of people gathered outside Rockstar’s Edinburgh offices, accusing the multi-billion-dollar studio of “blatant union busting” after it dismissed 31 employees.
Rockstar, whose upcoming sixth edition of the cash-cow series is among the hottest releases of 2026, has accused the employees of “distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies.”
However, the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), which organized the protest, disputed that statement, asserting that all the dismissed workers were members of a private discussion group associated with the union.
Rockstar did not immediately respond to an AFP inquiry.
“GTA VI” is on course to become one of the biggest entertainment product launches of all time.
As popular as it is notorious for its sexual and violent content, the franchise has allowed players to roleplay as criminals doing dirty deeds across sprawling cityscapes since its first entry in 1997.
Outlaw couple?
The latest game was initially scheduled for release later this year, with its trailer revealing a Miami-inspired Vice City setting and introducing the series’ first-ever playable female protagonist.
Set to the Tom Petty song “Love Is A Long Road,” it opens with a female character named Lucia being released from prison in what appears to be a fictionalised version of Florida.
Near the close of the one-minute-and-30-second clip, she tells her male partner in crime: “The only way we are going to get through this is by sticking together, being a team.”
The pair go on to burst into a store with pistols drawn and bandanas covering the lower halves of their faces.
Fans saw the scene as confirmation that rumours of a “Bonnie and Clyde” type crime couple are coming true.
Along with its wild success, the GTA series has faced criticism over its violent content.
From the start, critics have accused Grand Theft Auto of promoting violence and encouraging criminal behavior — claims that New York-based Take-Two Interactive has consistently denied.
In the game, players can sell drugs, fight, steal, and go on reckless car rampages. The gameplay also allows actions such as assaulting sex workers and visiting strip clubs, which has drawn strong criticism from activists.
