Would it be an exaggeration to call Grand Theft Auto VI the most highly anticipated video game in history? Probably not, and while it already feels like we've been waiting a lifetime for Rockstar's next instalments of the long-running franchise, that wait might be about to get even longer.
According to a new report from Kotaku, there's a chance GTA VI will miss its 2025 release window and slip into 2026.
It sounds like Rockstar is calling its employees back into the office in a bid to speed things up and, while the current goal is an "early 2025" launch, "it's becoming more and more likely that the sequel might not land until late 2025. It’s also possible that it could even slip into 2026 as production reportedly falls behind."
The site's piece feels very speculative. However, it comes after the reports mentioned above about employees being mandated to start working five days a week in Rockstar's offices beginning next month (many staff were hired remotely), and it's plausible that they're struggling to keep up.
In fact, the site goes on to say exactly that when they add, "that development on GTA 6 has started 'falling behind.'"
"I’m told this has leadership at Rockstar nervous and worried about the game missing the 2025 window and slipping into 2026, and is another big reason the company is pushing for a return to the office in April."
We'll see what happens, but with Rockstar still aiming for what sounds like a Spring 2025 release, we're hopeful that, at worst, we'll have this game in time for the holidays next year rather than a 2026 launch which, right now, feels like a lifetime away.
The anticipation surrounding GTA VI has led to some huge leaks, including a hack which put the release of the game at serious risk. Even the trailer found its way online sooner than expected, and part of the reason for getting staff back in the office is said to be security purposes.
"It's amazing when the trailer announcement is huge news, and then we were very gratified when the trailer broke the internet," Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick said last month. "In terms of the leak, that's always disappointing for the team, but ultimately, I don't think it hurt us."
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet. Coming 2025 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.