The GTA 6 timeline
Every official milestone, from the 2022 breach to launch day. Two delays, two trailers, one date that finally held. Each entry is dated and carries its source.
-
01 Confirmed
The leak that forced Rockstar out into the open
A network intrusion put roughly ninety development videos of the unannounced game online. Rockstar publicly acknowledged the breach, making it the first time the studio confirmed anything about GTA VI. We report on that material but do not host it: it is stolen work.
Source: TechCrunch: Rockstar confirms the September 2022 network intrusion Read: Real leaks vs fake leaks
-
02 Confirmed
Trailer 1, published early after a leak
Rockstar brought the first trailer forward by a day after it leaked the night before. The game was set in Leonida, starring Jason and Lucia, with a release window of nothing more precise than "2025".
Source: Rockstar Games: official GTA VI page Read: Trailer 1, shot by shot
-
03 Confirmed
First delay: the game is dated May 26, 2026
The "2025" window fell away. Rockstar gave GTA VI a firm date for the first time, May 26, 2026, and apologised for the wait. That date would not hold either.
Source: Rockstar Newswire: GTA VI is now coming May 26, 2026 Read: The date that got away
-
04 Confirmed
Trailer 2 breaks every viewership record
Released days before a Take-Two earnings call, the second trailer drew 475 million views in 24 hours, making it the most watched game trailer in history. It remains, with Trailer 1, one of only two official trailers to date.
Source: Rockstar Games: official GTA VI Trailer 2 Read: 10 details hidden in Trailer 2
-
05 Confirmed
Second delay: the launch moves to November 19, 2026
Rockstar pushed the game back a second time, to Thursday, November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick later described a slip of close to eighteen months against the original internal target.
Source: Rockstar Newswire: GTA VI is now set to launch November 19, 2026 Read: Will GTA 6 be delayed again?
-
06 Confirmed
Take-Two locks the date in with its shareholders
On its earnings call, and in an 8-K filing with the SEC, Take-Two reaffirmed November 19 and built its entire fiscal 2027 around it, targeting up to $8.2 billion in net bookings. From that point on, a delay stopped being a gaming story and became a shareholder one.
-
07 Confirmed
Preorders open, prices confirmed
Preorders went live with a Standard edition at $79.99 and an Ultimate Edition at $99.99, the latter bundling exclusive vehicles, weapons and outfits unlocked as Jason and Lucia's story progresses. Studios do not take money on a date they intend to move.
Source: Rockstar Newswire: pre-order Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25 Read: Which edition to buy
-
08 Reported
Preload opens
Preload is scheduled for a week before launch, one more logistical lock that makes a late slip considerably more expensive than it would have been a year ago.
Source: Insider Gaming: Take-Two reaffirms the November 19, 2026 release
-
09 Confirmed
Release, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S only
GTA VI ships as a single-player game first, with no PC version dated and no launch-day online mode. Both of those remain open questions.
Source: Rockstar Games: official GTA VI page Read: What we know about the PC version
We update this page whenever Rockstar or Take-Two announces something official, rather than publishing a fresh article for every increment. How we rate sources, and how we handle corrections, is set out on our newsroom page . Spotted an error? Tell us.