GTA 6 Delay No Surprise: Rockstar's History of Postponements

Take a deep breath and remember: Delays are good.

OK, that statement isn’t always true, but more often than not, it is. While some delayed projects have led to disappointing results—cough, Duke Nukem 3D—the vast majority of the time, extra development time leads to something truly special. In creative work, precision matters. So does the courage to scrap ideas that looked great on paper but didn’t translate in practice. How many half-finished games have you played and thought, This would’ve been amazing if they’d just waited? If that’s ringing true, hold onto that feeling.

GTA 6 is delayed, and honestly? That’s a great sign. The extra time means the game will likely be more polished, more immersive, and ultimately, more worth the wait.

Rockstar has built a legacy on taking their time. Like Nintendo, they belong to a rare breed of studios that refuse to rush a product to market. They wait until the game is truly ready—until every system clicks, every story beat lands, and every pixel feels intentional. And when the final product arrives? It’s always worth it.

I’ve been playing GTA games since the beginning—back when four-player LAN sessions on PC were the peak of multiplayer chaos. I’ve played them all: the obscure (London 1969), the iconic (GTA V), and the underrated masterpiece (Chinatown Wars on DS). For decades, I’ve caused mayhem, chased bounties, and crashed stolen vehicles across these vibrant, satirical worlds. And one thing stands out: nearly every GTA game has been delayed… and nearly every one has been exceptional. Here’s a look at every major delay in the series’ history (plus a few from Red Dead).

Grand Theft Auto III

Rockstar’s New York office was just blocks from the World Trade Center, and in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Take Two made the immediate decision to delay GTA III. Marketing VP Terry Donovan announced the delay days later:

"Our decision is based on two factors. First, basic communications infrastructure in downtown Manhattan has been intermittent at best, making work difficult. Second, we felt a full content review of our titles and marketing materials was necessary in light of last week’s horrific events.”

He added: "GTA is such a large game that the review isn’t quick. We’ve already found small contextual references and rare gameplay moments that no longer feel appropriate. We apologize for the delay, but I’m sure you understand. Rest assured, the game will be phenomenal—and it will arrive in late October.”

Even with minimal changes, the delay was the right call. Launching a game filled with police chases and emergency vehicle chaos so soon after the tragedy would have been tone-deaf and deeply unsettling.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The shortest delays in the series are shared by Vice City and San Andreas. Back when games shipped on physical discs, studios had to predict demand months in advance. Rockstar delayed Vice City by just seven days to manufacture additional copies, ensuring they could meet the massive day-one demand following GTA III’s success.

San Andreas for PS2 also launched a week late—a strategic decision to give the team extra time to polish what had already been a two-year development cycle.

Every Celebrity in GTA: San Andreas

View 37 ImagesGrand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Let’s be real: the handheld GTAs are seriously underrated. So much so that it’s worth digging out your old PSP or DS just to experience them. Most portable entries launched on schedule, but Vice City Stories for PSP was delayed by two weeks in North America, and even longer in parts of Europe.

And the greatest GTA of all time? (Yes, I said it.) Chinatown Wars for DS arrived two months later than expected. When it finally launched, critics hailed it as a masterpiece—tactical, inventive, and full of soul. It’s one of gaming’s great missed opportunities that it didn’t sell well. Who knows? If it had, we might already be playing Chinatown Wars 3 on the Switch 2.

Will GTA 6 Release on PC at the Same Time as Console Now It's Been Delayed to May 2026? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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AnswerSee ResultsGrand Theft Auto IV

After GTA III revolutionized open-world gaming, anticipation for GTA IV was sky-high. Moving past RenderWare and into the PS3 and Xbox 360 era, Rockstar Leeds aimed for a quantum leap in realism and immersion. Achieving that vision required several months of delay.

As Rockstar’s Sam Hause explained: “The new consoles are allowing us to create the Grand Theft Auto game we always dreamed about. Every aspect has been transformed. The game is huge and pushes hardware to its limits. Top engineers from Sony and Microsoft are working directly with our team in Edinburgh to maximize performance. Our goal is to surpass even the wildest expectations and deliver the ultimate high-definition experience.”

Grand Theft Auto V

The most successful console game of all time didn’t come quickly. *GTA V* launched in September 2013, but was initially expected in spring of that year. In January 2013, Rockstar released this statement:

“We know this is about four months later than planned, and we know it’s disappointing. But trust us—it will be worth the wait. GTAV is massively ambitious and complex. It simply needs more polish to meet the standard we—and more importantly, you—expect. To all fans: we apologize for the delay, and we promise the entire team is working tirelessly to make this game everything it can be. We’re doing everything we can to ensure it meets, if not exceeds, your expectations by September. Thank you for your support and patience.”

They were right. GTA V went on to become a cultural phenomenon, breaking sales records and redefining online multiplayer with GTA Online. Alongside RDR2, it stands as one of Rockstar’s finest achievements.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Not a GTA title, but too important to ignore—Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar’s magnum opus. True to form, it was delayed twice.