THE SHORT ANSWER
GTA 6 Release Date: November 19, 2026
Last updated
Grand Theft Auto VI comes out on Thursday, November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S — a date Rockstar has now said out loud often enough that even your uncle, who still calls it "Grand Theft Auto 5, Part 2," has heard it. (Yes, he needs to be told. No, it won't stick.) That's the whole answer. Everything below is why it took three years, two delays, and one genuinely confusing pre-order week to get here.
Scroll back up and the counter is already doing the days-hours-minutes math for you. Or keep reading — we go deep on the delays, the confusion, the platforms, and the question everyone's typing into Google at 1am: is there a Trailer 3.
HOW WE GOT HERE
The Full GTA 6 Release Date Timeline
Three years, two delays, one date that's actually stuck. Every official milestone, in order — no rumors, just what Rockstar and Take-Two have said out loud.
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December 2023
Trailer 1 drops, confirming GTA VI's return to Vice City. 93 million YouTube views in 24 hours — a record at the time.
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Early May 2025
First delay: the original Fall 2025 window slips to May 26, 2026. Rockstar cites the need for more polish.
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May 6, 2025
Trailer 2 drops four days later with zero warning — all in-engine PS5 footage. 475 million views across platforms in 24 hours: still the biggest video launch of all time, ahead of every movie trailer ever posted online.
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November 2025
Second delay: May 26, 2026 becomes November 19, 2026.
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June 17, 2026
Rockstar confirms pre-orders are coming on June 25.
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June 25, 2026
Pre-orders open for Standard and Ultimate editions.
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August 27, 2026
"Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look" premieres on Netflix, then YouTube six hours later — 26 minutes of pure gameplay.
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November 12, 2026
Digital pre-load unlocks, one week ahead of launch.
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November 19, 2026
Grand Theft Auto VI launches on PS5 & Xbox Series X/S.
Why Was GTA 6 Delayed Twice?
Both times, Rockstar gave the same reason: the game needed more time to hit "the highest quality bar." That's studio-speak for "we'd rather eat a few months of internet rage now than ship something half-baked and eat it forever." It's not a new playbook, either — GTA V slipped from spring to September 2013, and Red Dead Redemption 2 got delayed twice, from fall 2017 to spring 2018 to October 2018. Both shipped on their final announced date and both turned out fine, which is the closest thing to precedent this industry has.
Why Does GTA 6's Release Date Keep Causing Confusion?
If you've searched "gta 6 release date" and gotten three different answers, you're not losing it. Here's what's actually going on.
Which delay date is real?
Three dates have been attached to this game at different points: Fall 2025, May 26, 2026, and now November 19, 2026. If the last time you checked was over a year ago, you're not wrong — you're just reading off an old calendar. Screenshots and old articles quoting "May 2026" are still floating around search results, which doesn't help. November 19, 2026 is the current, confirmed date. The other two are history.
The June pre-order mix-up
Weeks before Rockstar said anything, retail affiliate leaks and Best Buy briefings filled the silence with theories. When Rockstar officially confirmed on June 17 that pre-orders would open June 25, some fans read "you can pay for it now" as "the release date moved to June 25." It didn't. June 25 was pre-order day, nothing more. November 19 is, and has only ever been, the release date attached to it.
Will GTA 6 Be Delayed Again?
Probably not — and here's the actual reasoning, not just vibes. Rockstar's last two mainline releases, GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2, both got delayed before launch too. Both still shipped on the very last date they announced, once pre-orders and a full gameplay reveal were out in the world. GTA 6 hit both of those markers in June and August 2026. Historically, that's the point where Rockstar's dates stop moving.
A senior Rockstar North figure has also gone on record reassuring fans the date will hold. Take studio reassurances for what they're worth — studios say a lot of things when a launch is close — but combined with the pre-order-plus-gameplay-reveal pattern, November 19 is about as solid as these dates ever get. We'll update this page the second that changes, for better or worse.
WHERE TO PLAY
What Platforms Is GTA 6 On?
PlayStation 5
Launches day one, November 19, 2026.
Xbox Series X/S
Launches day one, November 19, 2026.
PC
No official PC release date yet. Rockstar has historically brought GTA titles to PC well after console launch, and there's no reason to expect GTA 6 to break that habit.
Is GTA 6 Coming to PS4 or Xbox One?
No. GTA 6 is current-gen only — PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. If you're still on a PS4, this is the first mainline GTA since 2004 you won't be able to play on your existing console at launch. Time for an upgrade, or a very patient friend with a spare one and low standards for their couch.
Is GTA 6 Coming to Nintendo Switch 2?
Not confirmed. Rockstar has said nothing official, and a viral "leak" that did the rounds turned out to be satire mocking up the box art. There are separate, more credible-sounding rumors and insider leaks pointing to a real Switch 2 port sometime in 2027, but until Rockstar or Nintendo says it out loud, file it under rumor, not release date.
Will GTA 6 Have Online Multiplayer at Launch?
No. Rockstar and the official PlayStation and Xbox store listings both describe GTA 6 as a single-player experience. GTA Online arrived two weeks after GTA V; Red Dead Online followed about a month after RDR2. If GTA 6 follows the same pattern, an online mode is likely eventually — just don't expect to be playing with friends on day one, no matter what the Ultimate Edition promises.
MARK YOUR CLOCK
What Time Does GTA 6 Unlock?
Rockstar hasn't officially announced a launch hour — on-brand for a studio that's kept everything else this locked down. Storefront listings point to one global unlock moment rather than separate regional midnights.
Estimates based on a 5:00 AM UTC global unlock reported from storefront data — not yet an official Rockstar time. A single worldwide unlock moment (rather than every region getting its own separate midnight) would also save Rockstar's servers from nine separate waves of the entire internet hammering them at once. Check your platform's store page the week of launch for the final word.
WATCH
Every GTA 6 Trailer & Reveal So Far
Three major reveals, zero numbered "Trailer 3s" — despite what half the internet is searching for. Here's what's actually been released, in order, so you're not relying on a two-year-old forum post for your facts.
Watch on YouTube — Rockstar Games
Trailer 1 — December 2023
The one that broke the internet, leaked a day early, and still managed to feel like an event anyway. Confirmed Vice City's return, introduced Jason and Lucia, and racked up 93 million YouTube views in 24 hours — a record at the time, before Trailer 2 blew straight past it a year and a half later.
Trailer 2 — May 6, 2025
Dropped four days after the first delay announcement, with zero warning — the marketing equivalent of apologizing with fireworks. All in-engine footage on PS5. It hit 475 million views across platforms in 24 hours — still the biggest video launch of all time, ahead of every movie trailer ever posted online, Deadpool & Wolverine included. If that was Rockstar's way of saying sorry for the delay, it worked.
Is There a GTA 6 Trailer 3?
Not exactly — and that's the source of a lot of confused searches. Instead of a third cinematic trailer, Rockstar released "Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look" on August 27, 2026: a 26-minute, all-gameplay deep dive that premiered on Netflix before landing on YouTube and the official GTA VI site six hours later. It covers combat, robberies, car theft, police chases, and switching between Jason and Lucia — it's the closest thing to a Trailer 3 that exists right now. Rockstar hasn't confirmed a fourth reveal, but with launch still months out, don't rule one out before November.
THE STORY
Welcome to Vice City
Jason and Lucia chase one score too many across Leonida — from the neon sprawl of Vice City to the swamps beyond. Rockstar's most ambitious open world yet.
TURN IT UP
What Radio Stations Are Confirmed for GTA 6?
Only one, officially — but it's the right one. V-Rock, the classic rock station from the original Vice City in 2002, is confirmed to return: Jason's spotted wearing a V-Rock t-shirt in the promotional footage from Trailer 2, which in Rockstar-speak counts as an announcement. If you spent 2002 driving a stolen Stinger down Ocean Drive with V-Rock cranked up, dad-rock is officially canon in Leonida again.
V-Rock
The classic rock station returns from Vice City (2002), confirmed via Jason's wardrobe in promotional footage.
Everything else
Leaks and datamined files point to a jazz/soul channel, a metal/punk station, a classical station, and a first-for-the-series true-crime/conspiracy podcast station, plus over 200 hours of recorded DJ dialogue — more than triple GTA V's entire radio content. None of that is officially confirmed by Rockstar yet, so hold the excitement until it is.
Treat the rumored stations as "probably, eventually" — Rockstar tends to save the full soundtrack reveal for closer to launch.
PRE-ORDER
Choose Your Edition
Pre-orders opened June 25, 2026. Digital pre-load begins November 12, 2026, one week ahead of launch.
Two editions, one flat rule: neither changes when the game unlocks. The Ultimate Edition gets you a head start once you're in — extra GTA Online currency and an upgrades pack — not early access to the game itself, whatever a shady resale listing might imply. Pre-ordering either one also locks in day-one digital pre-load from November 12, so the install is already sitting on your drive before launch morning instead of eating your launch day.
Standard Edition
£69.99 / $79.99
- Full game on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S
- Access to GTA Online
- Day-one digital pre-load (from Nov 12)
Ultimate Edition
£89.99 / $99.99
- Everything in Standard Edition
- Bonus GTA Online currency & content
- Exclusive in-game upgrades pack
- Day-one digital pre-load (from Nov 12)
Pricing shown is US and UK RRP — check regional storefronts for local pricing.
PEOPLE ALSO ASK
GTA 6 Release Date: FAQ
Thursday, November 19, 2026, confirmed by Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive.
Yes, twice. It moved from an original 2025 window to May 26, 2026, then from May 26, 2026 to November 19, 2026.
No official sign of it. Pre-orders and a full gameplay reveal are both out already, which is historically when Rockstar's dates stop moving.
Mostly two things: people remembering an old 2025 or May 2026 date, and some fans mixing up June 25's pre-order launch with an actual release date change. November 19, 2026 is the only current release date.
Depends only on today's date — check the live counter at the top of this page. It updates every second and does the math for you.
Not officially confirmed, but storefront data points to a single global unlock around 5:00 AM UTC — roughly midnight Eastern, 9 PM Pacific the night before, or 5 AM in the UK. See the full time zone breakdown above.
PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S at launch. No PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch 2 version has been confirmed.
Not yet dated. Based on GTA V's 19-month console-to-PC gap and Red Dead Redemption 2's 13-month gap, expect somewhere around late 2027 to 2028. Rockstar has never skipped PC for a mainline GTA, so it's a question of when, not if.
Standard Edition is £69.99 / $79.99. Ultimate Edition is £89.99 / $99.99. See the full edition breakdown above for what each one includes.
From November 12, 2026, one week ahead of launch.
Not a numbered trailer. "An Extended Look," released August 27, 2026, is the closest thing so far — a 26-minute all-gameplay deep dive.
Only V-Rock so far, officially. Everything else — jazz, metal, classical, a podcast station — is leaks and speculation.
No. It's confirmed single-player only at launch. An online mode, if it comes, would likely follow later — as it did for GTA V and RDR2.