According to Wccftech, Rockstar Games has delayed Grand Theft Auto VI for the second time, pushing the highly anticipated sequel from its May 26, 2026 release date to November 19, 2026. The announcement came just before parent company Take-Two’s Q2 2026 earnings call, where CEO Strauss Zelnick directly addressed investor concerns about the delay. Zelnick defended the decision by stating it will allow Rockstar to “exceed the incredibly high expectations of fans” and emphasized that the company has “never regretted” delaying games in the past. He contrasted this approach with competitors who chose not to delay games “at their peril.” Meanwhile, Take-Two’s recent release Borderlands 4 is reportedly selling below expectations due to PC optimization issues, though Mafia: The Old Country is performing better than anticipated.
Rockstar’s Delay Playbook
Here’s the thing – this isn’t exactly new territory for Rockstar. They’ve delayed pretty much every major release in recent memory. Grand Theft Auto IV and V both got pushed back once, and Red Dead Redemption 2 was delayed twice. And honestly? Those games turned out pretty damn well. When you’re dealing with the sequel to the second best-selling premium game of all time, the pressure is absolutely insane. So maybe taking an extra six months to polish isn’t the worst idea in the world. But here’s my question: at what point does “polish” become feature creep or perfectionism? We’re talking about a game that was originally supposed to launch in Fall 2025 – now we’re looking at over a year of additional development time.
business-reality”>The Business Reality
Now, let’s talk about what this really means for Take-Two. Delaying your biggest cash cow by another six months is… well, it’s bold. The stock probably took a hit, though Zelnick’s confident delivery during the earnings call likely softened the blow. What’s interesting is the contrast with their other titles. Borderlands 4 selling below expectations because of PC optimization problems? That’s basically the exact scenario Zelnick was warning about when he mentioned competitors releasing unfinished games. And Mafia: The Old Country’s success suggests there’s still a solid market for narrative-focused, budget-priced games. So while GTA VI is the headline, the rest of Take-Two’s portfolio is telling its own story about what works and what doesn’t in today’s gaming market.
What About The Players?
Look, I get it – fans are frustrated. We’ve been waiting over a decade for a proper GTA sequel, and now we’re getting pushed back again. But here’s the alternative: remember when Cyberpunk 2077 launched? Or more recently, when some games released in rough shape? The gaming community has become increasingly intolerant of broken launches. So while waiting sucks, getting a polished experience on day one might actually be worth it. The real test will be whether Rockstar delivers something that genuinely justifies all this extra time. If GTA VI launches with significant technical issues after all these delays? That would be catastrophic for consumer trust. But if it’s as revolutionary as they’re promising? Well, then maybe Zelnick’s “never regretted a delay” philosophy will prove right once again.
