GTA 6 delayed again? 8 takeaways from Bloomberg's inside story
Bloomberg went inside Rockstar: a GTA 6 once planned across two continents, two delays, and a dev chief saying it's "never completely settled."
No, GTA 6 has not been delayed again: as of October 14, 2026, it's still launching November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Rockstar hasn't announced any change. But Jason Schreier's huge Bloomberg Businessweek feature, out today, paints a game its own head of development admits is still being tweaked.
Is GTA 6 delayed again? What the Bloomberg report actually says
The line that set off a wave of "GTA 6 delayed again" searches comes from Phil Hooker, Rockstar's head of development. He told Bloomberg the game is "never completely settled," that there's no "exact blueprint," and that "even within the last few months, we've changed things."
Context matters, though. GameSpot's read of the piece is that another delay isn't off the table, but nobody expects one. When Bloomberg visited in late September, teams were focused on fixing bugs, which is what the final stretch of any big production looks like. The next real checkpoint is Take-Two's earnings report on November 10, where the publisher is expected to reaffirm the date.
8 takeaways from Bloomberg's inside story
- It started in 2015 as "Project Americas." A small team scouted Miami and pitched a game spanning big chunks of North and South America. That was later scaled back to Vice City and the rest of Leonida.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 cost GTA 6 years. Rockstar hoped to build both side by side, but as RDR2 ballooned, staff were pulled over to ship it in 2018, pushing GTA 6 back "several years."
- The second delay stunned Take-Two's boss. Rockstar publishing chief Jennifer Kolbe broke the news to CEO Strauss Zelnick. His reaction, in her words: "You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding." He came around once she explained why.
- Jason and Lucia hang out outside missions. Bloomberg describes Jason texting Lucia to meet at a park, the couple hitting the gym, or holding up a convenience store together and bantering through the police chase.
- Nightclubs got absurd attention. Aaron Garbut talks about "layers and layers and layers of detail": individually animated patrons, a bar with its own drinks, lighting synced to the music. Research included police ride-alongs in Miami.
- There's a whole studio just for NPCs. Rockstar set up a Los Angeles operation with writers, producers and directors dedicated to the people walking Leonida's streets.
- Rockstar says it tried to avoid crunch. "We're not going to finish this game by crunching," Kolbe said, while admitting some staff still put in extra hours. Headcount nearly doubled, from 2,441 in 2018 to 4,711 across 12 studios.
- The next game shouldn't take 8 years. "The engine, the tools, and the team we've built during this project will allow us to do things more quickly," Hooker said.
Our favorite anecdote: Hooker set off for a story mission, then got pulled into a fender bender, a road-rage spat, a store robbery, a police chase, a car theft and a deal with a fence. Two hours later, he still hadn't started the mission. If that fence loop sounds familiar, it's the system we broke down in our guide on how to make money in GTA 6 with car theft and robberies.
GTA 6 delay timeline at a glance
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Miami research trip; "Project Americas" kicks off |
| 2015–2018 | Resources shift to Red Dead Redemption 2 |
| Late 2019 | Jason and Lucia's story foundations set; gameplay still unclear |
| September 2022 | Massive leak via a hack; Rockstar later brings staff back to the office five days a week |
| 2025 → May 2026 | First delay |
| May 2026 → Nov 19, 2026 | Second delay, with no single cause: the team simply needed more time |
| Nov 10, 2026 | Take-Two earnings: expected date reconfirmation |
Still wondering exactly when you can play? Here's when GTA 6 unlocks in the US, UK and Canada.
Budget, sales and Online: fact vs. estimate
| Topic | What's reported | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Rockstar denies the $1.5 billion figure but won't give a number | Official denial |
| Sales | About 40 million copies in four months, over $3 billion | Analyst estimate |
| GTA 6 Online | Reportedly expected in 2027; Rockstar declined to comment | Unconfirmed |
| Staff | 4,711 people across 12 offices (August 2026) | Rockstar figure |
For everything we know about multiplayer, see our breakdown of the GTA 6 Online release date.
Our take
This report should calm nerves, not fray them. "Nothing is ever settled" is how Rockstar has always worked, not a red flag. What matters more: teams squashing bugs eight weeks out, a publisher set to reconfirm the date on November 10, and boxed copies hitting stores on the 12th. A delay now would be enormously expensive and impossible to hide. The real value of the piece is that it finally explains why GTA 6 took over a decade: Rockstar wanted a world that reacts to everything, down to how each clubgoer dances. Whether two "lost" hours feel as thrilling on your couch as they did for Hooker is the one thing no report can answer yet.
FAQ
Is GTA 6 delayed again?
No. As of October 14, 2026, no new delay has been announced. GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Only the PC version still has no date.
Is GTA 6 delayed to 2027?
No. The console release is still set for November 2026. Rockstar's development chief says details keep changing, but Take-Two is expected to reaffirm the date in its November 10 earnings report.
Why was GTA 6 delayed twice?
According to Bloomberg, there was no single reason: the team decided it needed more time to hit its quality bar. The game was first planned for 2025, then May 2026.
So, which detail surprised you most: Project Americas, Zelnick's "you're kidding," or the two-hour detour? Tell us in the comments, and pass this along to the friend who keeps saying GTA 6 will slip to 2027.
By the way, we're giving away two copies of GTA 6 on our Discord until November 19: just react 🎁 to the post in #concours-giveaway.
Sources
- Bloomberg – Inside the Making of Grand Theft Auto 6
- GameSpot – GTA 6 could have been even bigger
- GameSpot – Take-Two CEO's response to second GTA 6 delay
- GameSpot – Rockstar's next game won't take 8 years
- GameSpot – GTA 6's nightclubs
- GTAVice.net – Bloomberg: Rockstar reveals development secrets
- PCQuest – GTA 6 release was planned for 2025
🛒 Get ready for November 19
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