May 2026 Is Not a Guarantee, Developers Don’t Trust Rockstar’s GTA 6 Release Date

Rockstar says GTA 6 is dropping May 26, 2026. But no one in the industry is actually betting on it.

Even though we finally have a date, developers and publishers are still bracing for another delay. The game’s been cooking since 2018, and while the hype couldn’t be higher, the confidence just isn’t there. According to a recent Bloomberg report, studios are second-guessing their own release schedules because they’re not sure GTA 6 will actually hit that May window.

Jason Schreier, who’s pretty much the authority on dev leaks and delays, didn’t sugarcoat it:

“There’s no guarantee that May 2026 is a sure thing.”

That one sentence has everyone nervous. And when it comes to Rockstar, the fear of clashing with a launch that might move again is just as dangerous as facing GTA 6 head-on.

Other Studios Are Already Shifting Plans

Some studios are using the delay to adjust their own timelines. EA, for example, had been sitting on a release date for the next Battlefield, waiting for Rockstar to show their hand. Now that GTA 6 is (theoretically) landing in late May 2026, EA seems more confident. CEO Andrew Wilson even said:

"We believe that window is clearer than it was before."

But not everyone’s so lucky. One anonymous developer working on a big multiplayer title told Bloomberg their game already got pushed from fall 2025 to spring 2026 to avoid the GTA 6 tidal wave. Now they’re left guessing again. Do they risk launching alongside Rockstar? Or do they delay again and possibly hit the same problem if GTA 6 moves?

Nobody wants to spend years on a massive project only to have it vaporized by Lucia and Jason drinking a beer in GTA 6.

GTA 6’s Delay History Isn’t New

Rockstar has always taken its time. Red Dead Redemption 2 was delayed twice: from fall 2017 to spring 2018, and then again to October 26. GTA 5 also got pushed once before release. These weren’t last-minute panic moves—they were calculated delays from a studio that’s never afraid to tell fans to wait.

So even if May 2026 sounds solid now, there’s no real reason to think it’s locked. If Rockstar needs more time to polish or just wants to build more hype, they’ll do it. Also, the delay could affect GTA's price tag, game сould сost $80–$90. Former PlayStation Boss Says "It's an Impossible Equation".

Bigger than Game

Delaying GTA 6 again wouldn’t just be an inconvenience. It could mess up a huge chunk of the release calendar. Studios are already playing chicken, unsure whether to launch before or after the behemoth lands. And that kind of hesitation costs money—marketing budgets get stretched, player interest can dip, and dev morale takes a hit.

Even the second GTA 6 trailer hasn’t fully landed yet. Fans are still analyzing the first one frame by frame, hoping for more reveals. Every discussion from GTA 6 Trailer 2 Analysis threads to GTA 6 Trailer 2 song speculation is filled with the same question: "When are we actually playing this?"

Until that next trailer drops—or Rockstar breaks silence—everyone’s just guessing.

GTA 6 isn’t just a big game—it’s the game. It’s the follow-up to one of the highest-grossing entertainment products of all time. That’s why every detail, even the delay drama, becomes front-page news.

But Rockstar’s silence isn’t helping. Fans are stuck rewatching the trailer, breaking down the GTA 6 Main Characters list, or joking that GTA 6 still won’t show the kisses. People want more, and they’re not getting it. That only fuels the feeling that something might be off behind the scenes.

In the absence of updates, all we’ve got is speculation. That includes everything from minor leaks to full-blown lists of GTA 6 All Known Info, just to feel like we’re closer to launch.

May 2026: Believe It When You See It

At the end of the day, GTA 6 releasing in May 2026 is still technically the plan. But even insiders are treating that date like a placeholder. If Rockstar decides the game needs more time, they’ll move it—and the entire industry will move with them.

Until then, developers are hedging their bets, gamers are watching trailers on loop, and everyone’s just hoping Rockstar doesn’t pull the rug out again.

Rockstar says GTA 6 is launching May 2026, but devs across the industry don’t buy it. And while you're still waiting for news, check our All GTA 6 info, as a long read with a grand game industry leak. With a history of delays and radio silence from Rockstar, another pushback is still very much on the table.