GTA 6 has been one of the longest waits in gaming. More than 13 years will separate GTA 5 and GTA 6 by the time Rockstar’s next game launches on November 19, 2026. This timeline covers every major moment in order, from the first confirmation to the final weeks before release.
GTA 6 timeline at a glance
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 17, 2013 | GTA 5 launches |
| March 2020 | Dan Houser leaves Rockstar |
| February 4, 2022 | Rockstar confirms the next GTA is in development |
| September 2022 | Major leak of early development footage |
| November 2023 | Rockstar announces the first trailer for December |
| December 4, 2023 | Trailer 1 released early after leaking |
| May 2, 2025 | First delay: release set for May 26, 2026 |
| May 6, 2025 | Trailer 2 released |
| November 6, 2025 | Second delay: release moved to November 19, 2026 |
| June 25, 2026 | Pre-orders open worldwide |
| August 2026 | CyberLeek leaks, then the Extended Look gameplay special |
| September 3, 2026 | GTA 6 PS5 controllers revealed |
| September 24, 2026 | Collector’s box revealed |
| September 29, 2026 | Game Informer cover story goes live |
| October 2, 2026 | LOVE Magazine cover and age rating revealed |
| November 12, 2026 | Preload begins |
| November 19, 2026 | GTA 6 launches |
2013 to 2021: the long silence
September 17, 2013: GTA 5 launches on PS3 and Xbox 360. It goes on to become one of the best-selling games ever, and Rockstar keeps it alive for years through GTA Online.
March 2020: Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser leaves the company. He had been a lead writer on every GTA game since GTA London 1969 in 1999, and he did not write any of GTA 6.
For most of these years, Rockstar said nothing official about a sequel, and fan theories filled the gap.
2022: confirmation and a huge leak
February 4, 2022: Rockstar confirms that development of the next Grand Theft Auto is well underway.
July 2022: A Bloomberg report says the game will star a Latina woman, one half of a Bonnie and Clyde-style couple.
September 2022: A hacker leaks dozens of early development videos, one of the biggest leaks in gaming history. Rockstar confirms the leak but says development will continue as planned.
2023: the first trailer
November 2023: Rockstar announces that the first trailer will arrive in December.
December 4, 2023: GTA 6’s first trailer leaks online one day before its planned reveal, so Rockstar releases it early. In India, it went live in the early hours of December 5. The trailer confirms the return to Vice City, introduces Lucia and Jason, and gives a 2025 release window. It became the most-watched video game reveal on YouTube.
2025: two delays and a second trailer
May 2, 2025: Rockstar delays GTA 6 out of 2025 and gives it its first exact date: May 26, 2026.
May 6, 2025: Trailer 2 arrives four days after the delay, along with a new website full of screenshots, character profiles and six regions of Leonida.
November 6, 2025: Rockstar delays the game again, to Thursday, November 19, 2026.
2026: the launch campaign
May 2026: Take-Two confirms the November 19 date to its shareholders.
June 25, 2026: Pre-orders open worldwide, revealing the $79.99 Standard and $99.99 Ultimate Editions, plus the Vintage Vice City Pack bonus. India pricing is ₹5,999 and ₹7,499. See our GTA 6 India guide.
August 2026: Dazed magazine runs a major Rockstar interview. Around the same time, a leaker called CyberLeek posts map and gameplay footage, Take-Two goes after the leaker with subpoenas to Microsoft and Discord, and Rockstar publicly responds to the leaks. Read the full story in our CyberLeek explainer and Rockstar’s response to the leaks.
August 2026: Rockstar’s 26-minute gameplay special, GTA 6: An Extended Look, premieres on Netflix and then YouTube. It is the first official GTA 6 gameplay. Here is everything the Extended Look revealed.
September 3, 2026: At PlayStation’s State of Play, Sony reveals two limited-edition GTA 6 DualSense controllers at $84.99, launching November 19.
September 24, 2026: Rockstar reveals The Goodtime State Vice City Collection, a $399.99 merchandise box that does not include the game.
September 25 to 29, 2026: Game Informer announces GTA 6 as the cover story of issue 382, and the digital edition goes live on September 29 with 12 new screenshots. You can read the cover reveal on Game Informer’s site.
October 2, 2026: LOVE Magazine reveals its GTA 6 cover for Issue 27, which sells out within minutes. GTA 6’s M and PEGI 18 age ratings are also confirmed.
What’s next
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| October 5, 2026 | LOVE Magazine Issue 27 reaches newsstands |
| November 12, 2026 | Preload begins for digital copies |
| November 19, 2026 | GTA 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, alongside the limited-edition controllers |
| November 20, 2026 | Vintage Vice City Pack deadline passes |
| To be announced | PC version and GTA Online plans |
We’ll update this timeline as new dates are confirmed. For the full picture of the game, read our GTA 6 guide, or check the official Rockstar GTA VI page.
How long did GTA 6 take?
Counting from GTA 5’s launch, the gap is over 13 years. Rockstar has also described a decade of world-building for Leonida, which matches how long the game appears to have been in production. The PCGamesN release tracker follows every update as launch gets closer.
GTA 6 timeline FAQ
When was GTA 6 first announced?
Rockstar confirmed development on February 4, 2022, and released the first trailer on December 4, 2023.
How many times was GTA 6 delayed?
Twice. First from 2025 to May 26, 2026, then to November 19, 2026.
When did GTA 6 Trailer 2 come out?
May 6, 2025.
When did GTA 6 pre-orders open?
June 25, 2026, at midnight local time.
When was the first GTA 6 gameplay shown?
In August 2026, through the Extended Look special on Netflix and YouTube.
