“Grand Theft Auto VI” is still officially scheduled to launch in fall 2025, according to the latest information from Rockstar Games and its parent company Take-Two Interactive. But many fans and industry watchers, including myself, are quietly expecting the highly anticipated open-world title to be delayed into 2026.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick recently commented on the situation, explaining why the publisher has yet to announce an exact release date. According to Zelnick, this decision is intentional—and there’s a strategic reason behind it.
He claims the company has never seen such overwhelming excitement for a new release in the entertainment industry. Because of this, Take-Two’s goal is to maintain and build on that anticipation for as long as possible. This includes holding back on marketing efforts, which remain surprisingly low-key given the scale of the project. The company believes that revealing too much too soon could deflate the excitement rather than amplify it.
Another reason for the secrecy may be competitive pressure. By not locking in a firm date, Take-Two makes it harder for rival publishers to schedule their own releases around “GTA VI.” The idea is to prevent competitors from launching major titles at the same time—either shortly before or after Rockstar’s blockbuster. Other developers are well aware of the massive attention “GTA VI” will attract, and few want to risk having their own games overshadowed by it.
For Take-Two, this isn’t just about maximizing hype—it’s also about staying strategically unpredictable in a crowded gaming market. By keeping the launch window vague, the company retains control over how and when it engages with both fans and rivals.
So while fans may be frustrated by the lack of a confirmed date, it seems the long wait is part of a deliberate plan. And unless something changes, all signs still point to a fall 2025 release—though nothing is set in stone. As always with Rockstar Games, the motto remains: It’ll be ready when it’s ready.