GTA 6 Release Pushed to November 2026 Amid Union Protests
Rockstar Games has announced another major delay for Grand Theft Auto VI, pushing the highly anticipated title’s release from May 26, 2026 to November 19, 2026. This marks the second significant postponement for a game that has already spent over a decade in development following GTA V’s record-breaking success.
Key Takeaways
- GTA 6 release delayed by six months to November 19, 2026
- Previous release date was May 26, 2026 (itself delayed from Fall 2025)
- Delay coincides with union protests over worker terminations
- 31 employees fired from Rockstar’s UK offices in October
Official Statement and Fan Reactions
In an official statement, Rockstar Games apologized for extending the wait but emphasized the need for additional polish: “We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realise has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve.”
The company added: “While the wait is a little longer, we are incredibly excited for players to experience the sprawling state of Leonida and a return to modern-day Vice City.”
Fans expressed frustration across social media platforms. “My therapist will hear about this Rockstar,” one Redditor quipped. Another questioned the development timeline: “I feel like it gets worse considering the fact that they had 6 months left to develop on the game, but now decide it apparently needs more polish. Makes you wonder if May 26 was ever gonna be a realistic release date to begin with.”
An X user lamented the extended development cycle: “Look how good we used to have it … 1 game in 13 years is disgusting,” while sharing a timeline of Rockstar’s releases.
Union Protests and Employee Terminations
The latest delay follows recent protests outside the UK offices of Rockstar North and parent company Take-Two Interactive. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) organized demonstrations after 31 workers were terminated from Rockstar’s UK offices on October 30.
According to a Bloomberg report, while Rockstar claimed the employees were fired for “distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies,” the IWGB contends the terminations were due to union involvement.
A union representative stated: “Management are showing they don’t care about delays to GTA 6, and that they’re prioritising union busting by targeting the very people who make the game.”
