Former Rockstar Games employee Mike York has warned that Grand Theft Auto 6 could be delayed again, potentially pushing its release into 2027. York, who worked as a senior animator on GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, said he 'would not be shocked at all' if the game missed its current November 19 release date.
York's Experience with Rockstar Delays
In an interview with Indy100, York drew on his own time at the studio, noting that GTA 5 was also delayed after pre-orders had begun. 'If November comes around and they're thinking 'this final mission we have is still not looking very good and there are still a few bugs in this final mission', they'll push it six more months if they have to,' he said.
Rockstar has a history of postponing releases, including the PC version of GTA 5, which was delayed three times, and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions, which slipped from November 2021 to March 2022.
Fan Anticipation and Potential Impact
Despite the lack of gameplay footage and Rockstar's silence, pre-orders for GTA 6 have started, and the game is predicted to generate as much as $5.2 billion in its first week. York believes Rockstar faces no pressure to rush, saying, 'They can do whatever they want and people will wait right now, it doesn't matter. If they need to do what they need to do, they'll do it.'
A delay into 2027 would frustrate fans and could also annoy other publishers who have scheduled major releases around GTA 6's launch window. However, there is hope for an update this month, as Take-Two's earnings call is set for August 7, and insider NateTheHate has expressed confidence that more GTA 6 news is coming.
