GTA VI development: from the 2022 announcement to launch
Rockstar confirmed GTA VI was in active development in February 2022. Since then: two trailers, two delays, a 26-minute Extended Look and the final date of November 19, 2026. Development is led by Rockstar North from Edinburgh.
The development of Grand Theft Auto VI is one of the longest and most closely followed in video game history. This is the complete official timeline, with the sources behind each milestone.
Official confirmation (2022)
On February 4, 2022, Rockstar Games published a community update confirming that the next Grand Theft Auto was in active development. It was the first time the company acknowledged the project, after almost a decade of GTA V. Development is led by Rockstar North, the Edinburgh studio that has been the creative home of the series since its origins.
Two trailers and two delays
- December 5, 2023: the first trailer, the official introduction of Lucia and Vice City, with a generic release window: 2025.
- May 6, 2025: the second trailer, with the official character and location profiles, and the first delay: from generic 2025 to May 26, 2026.
- November 6, 2025: the second delay, to the current final date: November 19, 2026. The announcement wiped $3.75 billion off Take-Two’s share value in 24 hours, according to the BBC.
Launch year (2026)
- June 25, 2026: pre-orders open on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with the standard edition ($79.99) and the Ultimate Edition ($99.99).
- August 27, 2026: Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, 26 minutes of real gameplay captured on PlayStation 5, presented alongside Netflix.
- September 2026: Rob Nelson’s Famitsu interview with the latest gameplay details, the announcement of Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album with Atlantic Records, and the date reaffirmed at Take-Two’s shareholder meeting.
The studio and the context
Rockstar North, based in Edinburgh, leads a development effort spanning the company’s studios in several countries. The project has not been free of outside noise: in September 2026, a labor tribunal began in Glasgow over the October 2025 firings, pitting Rockstar against 23 former employees. The company maintains the game’s schedule is unaffected.
GTA VI launches on November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, thirteen years after GTA V.
Source: Rockstar Newswire
Related
GTA VI on PC: everything we know
GTA VI launches November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only. There is no PC date, but Take-Two keeps saying PC is becoming more and more important to the company and that its strategy is to launch on every platform with a meaningful audience. History suggests a wait of one to two years.
GTA VI price: how much each edition costs
GTA VI costs $79.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition, according to Rockstar's official pre-order announcement. The physical edition includes a download code instead of a disc, and there are pre-order bonuses.
GTA VI release date
GTA VI launches on November 19, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. That is Rockstar's current official date, after the initial 2025 window, a first delay to May 26, 2026 and a second one to November 19. Pre-orders have been open since June 25, 2026.
GTA VI story: plot, protagonists and setting
The official GTA VI story: Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, a couple in and out of crime. When an easy score goes wrong, both are caught in a conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida and can only rely on each other.
GTA VI trailers: the two official videos
GTA VI has two official trailers: the first was released in December 2023 ahead of schedule after a leak, and the second arrived in May 2025 alongside the game's first delay. Both remain the main official source of information.
Related news
Rockstar opens its doors: the making of GTA VI, according to Bloomberg
A Jason Schreier feature in Bloomberg Businessweek gathers comments from Rockstar executives on the development, the 2022 leak and what comes next.
Source: GameSpot
Rockstar wants satire with no expiration date: no memes or passing slang in GTA VI
Rob Nelson explains to IGN how GTA VI's humor is written so it won't age badly: broad, timeless themes, zero memes, and characters that avoid overly contemporary slang.
Source: IGN
Frequently asked questions
When did GTA VI development start?
Rockstar confirmed it officially on February 4, 2022, announcing that the next Grand Theft Auto was in active development. Any earlier work has never been publicly dated.
Which studio is developing GTA VI?
Development is led by Rockstar North, the Edinburgh, Scotland studio that has been the creative home of the series, with support from Rockstar's other studios worldwide.
How many times has GTA VI been delayed?
Twice. From the initial 2025 window it moved to May 26, 2026 in May 2025, and then to November 19, 2026 in November 2025, which is the current official date.
How long has GTA VI been in development?
Counting from the official February 2022 confirmation to the November 19, 2026 launch, almost five years of public development, with undated earlier work.
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