After more than a decade of waiting, Grand Theft Auto VI is dated for November 19. Take-Two’s CEO says people will be calling in sick. We believe him.
If you’ve felt a strange tension in the air lately, a low hum of anticipation mixed with dread, that’s the sound of a few hundred million people checking their calendars. Grand Theft Auto VI is currently scheduled for November 19, 2026, and the industry is bracing the way a coastal town braces for a hurricane, only with more preorders.
The date, and the delays
Rockstar officially announced the game in December 2023. It was originally slated for 2025, then moved to May 26, 2026, and then pushed again to November 19, with Rockstar saying it needed more time to polish the game. Three dates, one game. At this point the game has had more rescheduling than a dentist appointment.
Platforms
The game is planned for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A PC version has not been part of the announced launch plans, so if you’ve been saving up for a rig upgrade based on hope, Rockstar has not made you any promises.
The price question
This one is still murky. Analysts and fans have speculated about prices as high as $100, and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has said he wants players to see the price as fair for what they get, without naming a number. Reports on pricing have circulated, but we’d treat any figure as unconfirmed until the store page says otherwise.
The sick day forecast
Speaking at an industry conference in the spring, Zelnick joked that many people will “probably be calling in sick on November 19.” He announced nothing new, but it is a rare moment of a CEO accurately describing his own customers. We’d advise telling your boss now. Or at least get ahead of the lie and pick a convincing stomach bug.
What to expect
Rockstar’s earlier trailers promised a modern Vice City-flavored setting and a duo of leads, with the series’ signature mix of crime, satire and traffic. Whether it lives up to a decade of hype is the only question that matters, and also the one nobody can answer until it’s in hands. Until then, enjoy the speculation. It’s free, which is more than we can say for the game.