Take-Two Interactive on Friday pushed the release of "Grand Theft Auto VI" to May 26, 2026, extending the wait for the most hotly anticipated title in video-gaming history and sending its shares tumbling 8 percent in early trading.
The title, developed by Rockstar Games, was previously slated for a fall 2025 launch. The franchise is the crown jewel in Take-Two's portfolio, accounting for a significant share of revenue and player engagement, and expectations for the upcoming title have been baked into Wall Street forecasts for months.
Fans have been waiting for the game for over a decade and analysts expect it to be an instant hit. The previous entry, "Grand Theft Auto V", released in 2013 and has sold over 200 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games ever.
"We support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision for Grand Theft Auto VI, which promises to be a groundbreaking blockbuster entertainment experience," Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said.
Delays have become commonplace in modern game development as studios grapple with rising production costs and growing pressure from players to deliver polished experiences at launch.
The postponement now pushes "GTA VI" out of Take-Two's fiscal 2026 release window and into 2027, which will likely bring down booking expectations for the next fiscal year. The company reiterated its expectations for sequential increases in net bookings for fiscal 2026 and 2027.
Investors await more details when Take-Two reports its fourth-quarter earnings on May 15.
Despite the delay, Take-Two has several titles lined up for the next fiscal year, including "Borderlands 4" and "Mafia: The Old Country," which are also expected to be big launches.
"Given that Take-Two reiterated expectations of record level net bookings in both FY'26 and FY'27, we think this alleviates some of the potential concerns around sales cannibalization in FY'26," D.A. Davidson & Co analyst Wyatt Swanson said.
Rockstar Games unveiled the first trailer for "GTA VI" in December 2023, confirming the game's return to Vice City, a fictional take on Miami, and introducing Lucia, the franchise's first female lead. The teaser hinted at a modern-day Bonnie-and-Clyde duo and drew more than 100 million views within 24 hours.
The response to the delay was mixed on social media. Some users complained about waiting longer while others welcomed the additional polish.
The move will also impact the wider industry as "GTA VI" was expected to be a major catalyst for sector growth at a time when U.S. tariffs have driven up gaming console prices and sparked a pullback in consumer spending.
Source: Reuters
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