Grand Theft Auto 6 is undoubtedly the most anticipated game of 2026. After multiple delays, Rockstar has finally settled on a launch date of November 19, 2026.
However, in the latest episode of Button Mash, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier has cast some doubt on that release date. The longtime industry analyst shared what he has heard about the game, revealing that it's still not content complete.
"This is a big and complicated game and the last I heard, it was still not content complete,” Schreier said (around 5:22). “That is to say people were still finishing things up, still finalizing levels, and missions, and seeing what is going to make it into the game.”
Explaining the development process of blockbuster games, Schreier noted that the different phases -- feature complete, content complete and bug testing -- has a lot of blurred boundaries. And he pointed out that along the way in those different stages, people are still making content, but he's hopeful that they will be done soon. However, he couldn't say for sure that GTA 6 would be ready by November, and he doesn't believe anyone at Rockstar could guarantee the launch date either.
He continued: "So it's really hard to say right now, and I don't think anyone at Rockstar could tell you with 100% certainty that they will make it out in November, but I think this feels a little bit more real than Fall 2025 did. That was never real, and even more real than May did."
Schreier noted that the stages "are so high" with GTA 6 that Take-Two can't settle on anything less than perfection because of how it could impact the company's stock.
"They really cant settle for anything less than perfection with this release because there's so much riding on it," he explained. "The stock of Take-Two lives or dies on this game. So, it's not something they will release in any compromised state. So even if it comes to October and the game is not 100% ready, I suspect they would rather slip than release it."
Following the podcast, Schreier would clarify that he doesn't not for certain if GTA 6 will be delayed. He wouldn't be surprised if it does come out this year, following a similar pattern as Red Dead Redemption 2; he just wouldn't rule out the possibility of another delay.
This is a complete misunderstanding of what I said, which is that I wouldn't be shocked if GTA6 *does* come out this fall, following the same delay pattern as RDR2. Of course another delay is possible. It's a video game. But this blog post is very misleading (just reach out to me - it's not hard!)
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— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier.bsky.social) January 8, 2026 at 9:28 AM
While another delay would send the video game world into a tizzy, it wouldn't necessarily be catastrophic for Take-Two. The company's fiscal year isn't scheduled to end until March, so they do have a bit of wiggle room when it comes to releasing Grand Theft Auto 6. That said, pushing the game back to 2027 would mean that it misses the holiday shopping window. Not that it would drastically hinder sales. GTA 6 is certain to be a surefire hit regardless of when it releases and is expected to be one of the highest-grossing games of all time.