Rockstar Games has announced that Grand Theft Auto 6, one of the most anticipated gaming releases in history, has been delayed again. Fans have responded by sharing an avalanche of memes online.
Newsweek has contacted Take Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The latest game in the GTA series, GTA 5, was released in 2013, and to date is the second best-selling game of all time. Since its launch, GTA 5 has generated some $8.6 billion in revenue, according to reporting around Rockstar’s most recent earnings.
Though it is now 12 years old, it remains extremely popular with fans. But despite the staying power of the game, gamers are eagerly awaiting the next installment, which was originally slated for release in May 2026.
What To Know
In a statement shared to X – viewed over 79 million times as of reporting – Rockstar Games confirmed the delay and apologized for adding additional time to the wait, but said that the extra time would allow them to “finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve.”
Since the announcement was posted, X has been flooded with memes in response.
Many of these memes center on people joking about how old they will be when the game is finally released. One post, viewed over 700,000 times, reads, “Me and the boys when gta 6 finally comes out,” and is accompanied by a picture of a group of old men.
A similar post from @slvppy, which shows two elderly men on a sofa, with one holding a games console, reads “me and bro by the time GTA 6 releases,” and has been viewed over 230,000 times.
Another post from @MessiEra10_, viewed over 170,000 times, reads “Rockstar Games changing the GTA 6 release date every 3 months.”
The announcement of the game’s delay comes after 31 workers were fired from Rockstar studios in the United Kingdom, as per a report from Bloomberg.
Take Two Interactive has said that the workers were dismissed over “gross misconduct,” but the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has alleged that staff at the company’s base in Edinburgh were fired over “trade union activity.”
Rallies have been led at the company’s offices in Edinburgh and London since.
Timeline of GTA 6 Delays
Rockstar confirmed in February of 2022 that the game was being developed.
It was reported that the game would be released in 2025 initially.
Then, Rockstar Games officially delayed the release of the game until May 2026.
Now, the release of the game has been pushed back again to November 2026.
What People Are Saying
Rockstar Games, in a statement posted on X: “We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve.”
Social media user @kirawontmiss, in a post on X viewed over 380,000 times: “Me in the year of 2070 after hearing GTA 6 got delayed again.”
Social media user @hrdflng, in a post on X viewed over 660,000 times: “POV: You got your wife pregnant to play GTA 6 during paternity leave and Rockstar changes the release date.”
Social media user @quitdrug in a post on X viewed over 140,000 times: “When I’m struggling to live and they delay GTA 6 for 5 more months.”
Social media user @tylerduran21 shared an image of a man staring at a cupboard of cables with the accompanying text: “GTA 6 Developers the last 12 years.”
What Happens Next
The game is now slated for release on November 19, 2026.
