When Rockstar confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 won’t hit shelves until May 26, 2026, fans were understandably disappointed. After all, it’s been over a decade since GTA V launched, and anticipation for the next chapter in the series has reached almost mythical levels. Still, if Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick is to be believed, this new date is the real deal.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Zelnick sounded more confident than ever about the game’s progress.
“My confidence is very, very strong,” he said. “Rockstar has a lot going on, but GTA 6 is certainly front and center. The whole point of Rockstar is to meet sky-high expectations — and then exceed them. I know that’s their goal. I know it’s going to be an amazing game.”
Zelnick’s words are reassuring, especially after years of rumors, leaks, and speculation about Rockstar’s development cycle. The studio originally aimed for a fall 2025 release, but the launch was quietly pushed back to May 2026 to give developers more time for polishing and final adjustments. For longtime Rockstar fans, that kind of delay isn’t exactly surprising — this is, after all, the same studio that postponed Red Dead Redemption 2 multiple times before delivering one of the most critically acclaimed games of its generation.
Despite the wait, enthusiasm around GTA 6 hasn’t faded. Every new detail — from the return to Vice City to the introduction of Lucia and Jason, the game’s dual protagonists — only fuels the hype. Rockstar’s trailers have already shattered viewing records, and the studio’s silence since then has only made the community hungrier for updates.
Strauss Zelnick also mentioned that Rockstar is juggling “a lot of things” behind the scenes, hinting that the company might be planning more than just GTA 6 in the long term. Whether that means future expansions, new tech investments, or the next evolution of GTA Online, fans can only speculate for now.
For the moment, all eyes are on that May 26, 2026 release date. Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a PC version likely to arrive later. After years of anticipation, the finish line is finally in sight — and if Zelnick’s confidence is anything to go by, Rockstar intends to make the wait worth every second.
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