GTA 6 to launch in November after two delays as Rockstar confirms pre-order date

Rockstar Games has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be released on 19 November, setting the stage for what analysts believe could be the most expensive game ever made, with development costs estimated at more than $1bn (£866m). The announcement comes after two previous delays that pushed the launch from autumn 2025 to May 2026, and then to the current November date. In a statement when the second delay was announced, Rockstar said it needed extra months to finish the game with the level of polish fans had come to “expect and deserve”. The blockbuster title will be available to pre-order from 25 June, though the price remains unconfirmed. Some analysts have suggested the game could be the first to be priced at $100 (£76). GTA 6 will be the first in the franchise to feature a playable female protagonist in a 3D setting – Lucia – alongside her partner Jason. The story follows the pair in a Bonnie and Clyde-esque adventure through the seedy underbelly of America after an “easy score goes wrong”, according to the two gameplay trailers released so far. Set in the fictional US state of Leonida – Rockstar’s version of Florida – the game will see the return of Vice City, the franchise’s Miami-inspired metropolis. The cover art, revealed by Rockstar on 18 June, nods to the setting with alligators and flamingos. The game will be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, with no news yet on a PC version or availability on Nintendo Switch 2. Rockstar has not confirmed whether an updated online mode will be available at launch, though given the success of GTA Online it is likely to exist at some point. The last instalment in the main series, GTA 5, was released in September 2013 and quickly became one of the best-selling games of all time. Whether GTA 6 can match that legacy remains to be seen.