GTA 6 Is Taking So Long To Launch For Two Very Good Reasons

GTA VI is taking a long time to be released, but there are very good reasons why.

It’s fair to say that when the next entry in Rockstar Games’ goliath, the Grand Theft Auto series ,arrives, it’s probably going to smash all sorts of sales and concurrent player records. Heck, it’s already been smashing records on YouTube.

Following the unfortunate gameplay leaks of GTA VI, taken from an early build of the game, Rockstar Games finally revealed the first trailer in December 2023, along with a 2025 launch window. Then, earlier this year, the second trailer was released not long after a delay was announced.

Why Is GTA 6 Taking So Long?

Well, that’s the big question: why has GTA VI taken so long to develop and get released? From the outside looking in, we all know that video game development is no walk in the park, and the best games can spend years in production, with GTA VI being a prime example.

Video games of GTA VI’s stature should never be rushed, and Rockstar Games knows it. The developer always takes its sweet time working on its major releases, and proof of quality is in the pudding, as some might say.

However, in a clip uploaded by the TikTok account House of Highlights, Ned Luke, who plays Michael De Santa in GTA V, gave two valid reasons as to why GTA VI has spent so long in development.

The first reason is the COVID-19 pandemic, which was at its peak between 2020 to 2022. During that time, lots of businesses shut down during lockdown, many of which adapted to remote working.

Ned Luke says this would have delayed the development of GTA VI by a year or two (at least), and before that, Rockstar Games was hard at work with Red Dead Redemption 2.

Taking part in the same interview was Shawn Fonteno, who played Franklin Clinton, starring alongside Ned in GTA V.

Shawn mentioned the amount of money that Rockstar Games makes from GTA Online, which would likely mean the company is in no rush to end that cash cow anytime soon.

At the time of writing, Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to be released on 26 May 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Its PC port is yet to be announced, but we all know that it will happen at some point. We'll let you know as soon as that information drops.