GTA 6 Faces Severe Development Problems; Release Possibly Delayed to 2026

There's no doubt that Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6's release date has been the talk of the town ever since the first trailer was released. While Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive have aimed to release GTA 6 in 2025, they can't escape development issues. New reports suggest that GTA 6 might miss its 2025 release and be delayed. The news comes after Rockstar Games mandated its workers to return to the office to speed up game production.

GTA 6’s Production Problems Might Delay The Game’s Release

GTA 6 is one of the most hyped games in history, with millions of players around the globe patiently waiting for any scrap of information or screenshots of the upcoming Rockstar Games’ title. The long-awaited game was finally revealed with the first trailer in December 2023, with a 2025 release window. Multiple reports have suggested that the game was looking for a release in early 2025. However, Kotaku reports claim GTA 6 could be released in late 2025 or even into 2026.

While the title was revealed in December 2023, it's not completed. As a lot of game production is pending, employees not returning to the office might further delay the release. According to previous reports, Rockstar Games mandated their workers return to the office due to security concerns. However, in a conversation with Kotaku, a Rockstar source revealed that GTA 6's production is also 'falling behind'.

If the game's production falls behind, Rockstar Games could force workers back to the office and make them work longer to deal with the issues. One Rockstar Games employee commented about the employee culture and said, "I've been through a couple of projects, both of which had crunch. The first one was extremely difficult. I had way less gray hair back then. … We want to continue the strides we've made as a company to remove that toxic culture."

Reports claim that pushing the game to 2026 is possible as a sort of "emergency" or "fallback plan" if the company continues to face internal problems. Rockstar Games' unwillingness to reveal a more specific release date for GTA 6 confirms that the studio remains unclear when the development will be completed. Despite the crunch issues, Rockstar might continue the game development to make sure it releases on the expected release date.