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 it usually is. Delayed projects can sometimes result in disappointing games, but more often, taking extra time leads to exceptional results. Meticulous attention to detail and the courage to discard ideas that don't work are crucial in art. Think about how many half-finished games you've played and wished the publisher had delayed until they were truly ready. Keep that in mind.

GTA 6 is delayed, and that's good because it will likely be better for the wait.

Rockstar has a long history of delaying games to ensure they're ready for market, a practice that places them in an elite group with Nintendo, waiting until the product is fully polished before release. And the results are always outstanding.

I've been playing GTA games since their inception, starting with four-player PC GTA LAN parties. I've explored the most obscure titles (London 1969), the best (GTA V), and the true gem (Chinatown Wars for DS). I've navigated, crashed, and battled my way through these unique, captivating worlds for decades. Thankfully, these games are almost always late... and not coincidentally, always great. Here's a look at every delay in GTA history (and some Red Dead too).

Grand Theft Auto III

Rockstar’s New York offices were just a few blocks from the World Trade Center, leading Take Two to briefly delay GTA III following the September 11 attacks. Marketing VP Terry Donovan announced the delay shortly after the tragedy:

"Our decision is based on two factors: firstly, it has been challenging to work in downtown Manhattan over the past week due to intermittent basic communications infrastructure, and secondly, we felt a full content review of all our titles and the marketing materials was necessary following the horrifying event we all witnessed in the United States last week."

He added: "As for Grand Theft Auto, since the game is so extensive, the review is a lengthy process. So far, we have identified certain small contextual references that we are no longer comfortable with, as well as a few very rare gameplay instances that no longer felt appropriate to us. We apologize to you and all the people waiting for this game to ship for the delays that have now ensued, but I'm sure you can understand our reasoning. Rest assured the game will be phenomenal...and you can expect it to hit shelves in late October."

Even with minimal content changes, the delay was a wise decision for both Rockstar and players. Launching a game involving violence against emergency services so soon after the tragic loss of thousands wouldn't have been well-received.

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

Vice City and San Andreas share the distinction of the shortest delay. In the era before digital downloads and day-one patches, manufacturers had to estimate the physical product demand well in advance. Rockstar delayed Vice City by seven days to produce more discs and meet the high demand following GTA III.

San Andreas for PS2 also arrived a week later than planned, a strategic decision to give the development team extra time to polish their two-year project.

Every Celebrity in GTA: San Andreas

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

The GTA handheld games are exceptional, well worth revisiting on your old PSP or DS. While most GTA portable games launched on time, Vice City Stories for PSP was delayed for two weeks in North America, with longer delays in parts of Europe.

The best GTA game, in my opinion (and I'm ready to defend it!), didn't arrive precisely on time. The incredibly creative and intricate DS title hit shelves two months later than planned. When it did arrive, it impressed critics but sadly didn't sell well. If it had, we might be playing Chinatown Wars 3 on our new Switch 2s right now.

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

YesNoIt depends

AnswerSee ResultsGrand Theft Auto IV

After GTA III revolutionized the gaming industry, anticipation for GTA IV was immense. With the transition to a new console generation and leaving RenderWare behind, Rockstar Leeds aimed for perfection. Realizing this vision required several months of delay.

As Rockstar’s Sam Houser explained, “The new consoles [PS3 and 360] are allowing us to create the Grand Theft Auto game we always dreamed about. Every aspect of the game and its design has been completely transformed. The game is huge and is pushing the hardware platforms to their absolute limits. The top engineers from Sony and Microsoft are working closely with the team in Edinburgh right now, helping us to fully leverage the power of both platforms. As always, our goal is to surpass even the wildest expectations of the game's fans, and to create the ultimate high-definition video game experience."

Grand Theft Auto V

The biggest console game of all time took its time to arrive. GTA V finally launched in September 2013, but was initially expected in the spring of that year. In late January 2013, Rockstar released the following message:

“We know this is about four months later than originally planned and we know that this short delay will come as a disappointment to many of you, but, trust us, it will be worth the extra time. GTAV is a massively ambitious and complex game and it simply needs a little more polish to be of the standard we and, more importantly, you require. ‘To all Grand Theft Auto fans, please accept our apologies for the delay, and our promise that the entire team here is working very hard to make the game all it can be. We are doing all we can to help ensure it will meet if not exceed your expectations come September – we thank you for your support and patience.’"

They were right. GTA V became the most successful console game ever, and alongside RDR2, it's a true jewel in Rockstar’s crown.

Red Dead Redemption 2

While not part of the GTA series, Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar’s best game, and I love discussing it. Following Rockstar's tradition of quality-based delays, RDR2 was delayed twice, first in spring 2017 for quality assurance. The second delay came in February 2018, pushing RDR2 to late October. Rockstar's statement explained that this was another quality issue.

"We are excited to announce that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be released on October 26th, 2018. We apologize to everyone disappointed by this delay. While we had hoped to have the game out sooner, we require a little extra time for polish.

“We sincerely thank you for your patience and hope that when you get to play the game, you will agree the wait will have been worth it. In the meantime, please check out these screenshots from the game. We look forward to sharing a lot more information with you in the coming weeks."

Like the other delays mentioned, this one paid off, delivering a masterpiece still unmatched in adventure gaming.

So friends, don't despair. GTA 6 will come, and when it does, it will almost certainly be very, very good. See you in Vice City.