The delay for GTA 6 may have contributed to Avengers: Doomsday switching dates, although plenty of fans don’t think the game will meet its May launch date.
It was always an act of optimism to expect GTA 6 to launch this year, despite Take-Two’s assurances it would meet the initial autumn 2025 release window.
As such, news of GTA 6’s delay was disappointing but not all that surprising. What was surprising, though, was that Rockstar Games and Take-Two immediately committed to an exact release date.
Knowing precisely when it’ll launch should make the wait a little easier, especially as by this time next year it’ll already be out… hopefully.
What is the release date for GTA 6?
GTA 6 is scheduled to release on May 26, 2026. It being a Tuesday isn’t ideal for anyone who has to go to work, instead of enjoying the game all day, but now that we have that date, it’s worth booking your time off now.
It’s obviously going to be a massive game, so seven straight days of playtime will ensure you don’t fall behind in the conversations that will undoubtedly dominate online circles.
While Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has tried to downplay the possibility, it’s entirely possible GTA 6 will be delayed a second time, especially since previous Rockstar games, like Red Dead Redemption 2, saw multiple delays as well.
Some fans are very much preparing themselves for more upset. In a thread on the GTA subreddit, positing how fans would react to a second delay, Redditor HizzOVizzA admits they are expecting it to happen, with more than a handful agreeing.
‘My advice to you younger folks. Just don’t even think about it. I obsessed over GTA 5 for the two years in between the release date and the launch. Same with Red Dead,’ says PapasGotABrandNewNag, adding, ‘They both exceeded my expectations. It will be worth the wait.’
Rouni_99 also suspects, ‘We only got the date so we can feel little bit better, since the game is so highly anticipated. I’d be more surprised if the game actually releases in May rather than faces another, shorter delay.’
It’s not just fans; other publishers suspect GTA 6 will be delayed again, with a recent report alleging that the game’s new release date sparked ‘emergency meetings’ among companies that planned to launch new games in 2026.
Given how monumental the launch of a new GTA game is in the world of entertainment as a whole, it’s likely GTA 6’s release date has had a ripple effect on more than just the games industry.
You just have to look at GTA 6’s second trailer. When it dropped, it reportedly saw more views in 24 hours than any movie trailer ever made. The previous record holder? Marvel movie Deadpool & Wolverine.
There are even suspicions that GTA 6’s delay contributed to the delay of 2026’s big Marvel crossover movie Avengers: Doomsday, which was initially meant to hit cinemas on May 1.
According to Deadline, Disney has pushed the movie back to December 18, with the sequel Avengers: Secret Wars also delayed from May 7, 2027, to December 17.
No official reason was given, but Disney will certainly be aware of GTA 6’s release date and they’ll know that even the Avengers isn’t as big as a new Rockstar game.
After all, if everyone’s at home playing the game, that’s less people going to the cinema.
Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter.
To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.
For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.