GTA 6 Development Timeline – From 2014 to 2026
Grand Theft Auto VI is one of the longest-developed games in history — more than a decade from the first concepts to the final release. The road was not straight: team shifts, a global pandemic, a massive leak, and two delays. Here is the complete chronology from the first idea in 2014 to November 19, 2026.
📅 Complete GTA 6 Development Timeline
▸ 2013 — GTA V launches. The future of the series begins to take shape.
September 2013 — Grand Theft Auto V launches on PS3 and Xbox 360 and becomes the fastest-selling game in history. Rockstar’s leadership immediately begins thinking about the next entry. Leslie Benzies, then-president of Rockstar North, would later confirm that brainstorming on GTA 6 began almost immediately after GTA V shipped.
▸ 2014 — GTA 6 development begins
Development on GTA 6 begins roughly a year after GTA V — initially in a conceptual phase. Rockstar discusses setting, characters, and technological direction. The first design documents are created during this period. The studio is simultaneously working on GTA V ports for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, which occupies a large portion of the team.
▸ 2018 — “Project Americas” and the shift to full production
Reports circulate about an internal project called “Project Americas” — a GTA 6 with an expansive setting spanning Vice City and parts of South America. After Red Dead Redemption 2 ships in October 2018, Rockstar moves a large portion of its teams onto GTA 6 and production accelerates significantly. True full-scale production begins in this period.
▸ 2020 — Bloomberg confirms active development
Jason Schreier at Bloomberg is the first credible reporter to confirm that GTA 6 is in active development. He also describes Rockstar’s new approach — following heavy criticism over crunch culture during RDR2, the studio decides to create a healthier working environment. A scaled-back initial scope with post-launch expansion becomes the new plan.
▸ February 4, 2022 — Rockstar officially confirms GTA 6 exists
After years of speculation, Rockstar Games publishes a community update and officially confirms for the first time: “Active development for the next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series is well underway.” At the same time, the studio announces the end of GTA Online support on PS4 and Xbox One, signalling a shift of focus to current-gen. The GTA community explodes — the wait is confirmed.
▸ July 2, 2022 — “Steadily moving more resources”
Rockstar publishes another update and reveals it has been “steadily moving more development resources” to GTA 6. The studio simultaneously announces a wind-down of new content for Red Dead Online — a clear signal that GTA 6 has now consumed virtually the entire studio’s capacity.
▸ July 27, 2022 — Bloomberg: first female protagonist in GTA history
Jason Schreier at Bloomberg reports a landmark detail: GTA 6 will have a female protagonist — the first time in the series’ 25-year history. The character is a Latina inspired by Bonnie from the Bonnie and Clyde duo. The story is set in a modern version of Vice City. The community receives the news with a mix of enthusiasm and scepticism.
▸ September 2022 — The biggest leak in gaming history
A hacker (later identified as Arion Kurtaj, then 17 years old and a member of the Lapsus$ group) uploads over 90 videos of early GTA 6 development footage to GTAForums.com. The clips are rough and unpolished, captured in an alpha state — but they confirm Lucia and Jason, Vice City, and core gameplay mechanics. Rockstar confirms the breach. It is the largest leak in gaming industry history. Paradoxically, the leak likely accelerates Rockstar’s official marketing timeline.
▸ December 4, 2023 — Trailer 1: the world stops for 90 seconds
Rockstar releases the first official GTA VI trailer. Runtime: 91 seconds. Footage: Vice City in neon colours, alligators, flamingos, Lucia in an orange jumpsuit, Jason with a tattoo, and Tom Petty on the radio. Within 24 hours the trailer accumulates over 90 million views on YouTube — the second most viral video in the platform’s history. Release year: 2025. The community erupts. The wait finally has an end in sight.
▸ February 2024 — Official confirmation: Autumn 2025
Rockstar officially confirms an Autumn 2025 release on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. No PC version is mentioned. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick speaks on an earnings call about “the biggest project in studio history” and expresses full confidence in the target. Pre-orders are not yet open.
▸ May 2, 2025 — First delay: Autumn 2025 → May 26, 2026
Rockstar announces the first delay — the game will not release in Autumn 2025 but on May 26, 2026. The studio apologises: “We are very sorry that this is later than you expected.” The community is disappointed but accustomed — Rockstar delayed both GTA V and RDR2. Four days later, on May 6, 2025, Trailer 2 drops as compensation and accumulates over 100 million views.
▸ October 30, 2025 — Rockstar lays off 31 staff in the UK
Rockstar lays off 31 employees from its UK studios in Edinburgh and London — senior artists, animators, QA testers, designers, and producers. The dismissals trigger protests and union disputes. Staff hold rallies outside the offices, and the story is reported in the context of the second delay announced a week later.
▸ November 6, 2025 — Second delay: May 26 → November 19, 2026
Rockstar announces a second delay. The game will not release on May 26, 2026 but on November 19, 2026. The studio states: “These extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve.” The community reacts with resignation — but insiders confirm that November 19 is a firm date. Speculation about a third delay is dismissed by insider Reece Reilly as “total BS.”
▸ April 2026 — Hackers steal Rockstar’s financial data
The ShinyHunters group breaches Rockstar’s servers. After a ransom payment is refused, they publish internal GTA Online financial data — revealing, among other things, that PC accounts for just 3% of microtransaction revenue versus 97% from consoles. Rockstar confirms the breach. The data changes the community’s understanding of the studio’s platform strategy.
▸ June 25, 2026 — Pre-orders open, cover art revealed, Ultimate Edition announced
Rockstar opens GTA VI pre-orders and reveals the official cover art — Jason, Lucia, and Raul Bautista in front of Sinfrontera National Bank. At the same time, the studio unveils the Ultimate Edition with exclusive shops, missions, and a gang compound. The physical release will contain only a download code — the disc arrives in December. PS5 pre-orders dominate Xbox at a ratio of 6:1.
▸ November 19, 2026 — GTA VI launches 🎮
Grand Theft Auto VI launches globally on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. After more than 12 years of development, two delays, the biggest leak in gaming history, and hundreds of millions of trailer views — the state of Leonida opens its doors. A PC version is expected in 2027 or 2028.
📊 Development in Numbers
12+
Years of total development from first concept (2014) to release (2026)
90+
Videos leaked in the biggest gaming leak in history in September 2022
90M
Views on Trailer 1 in its first 24 hours — 2nd most viral YouTube video of all time
2×
Delays from the original target (Autumn 2025) to the final release date (Nov 19, 2026)
🔄 GTA 6 vs Previous Rockstar Games — Development Comparison
| Game | Announced | Console release | PC release | Total dev time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V | October 2011 | September 2013 (23 months) | April 2015 (42 months) | ~5 years |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | October 2016 | October 2018 (24 months) | November 2019 (37 months) | ~8 years |
| GTA VI | December 2023 | Nov 19, 2026 (35 months) | Estimated 2027–2028 | ~12 years |
Updated continuously · leonida.wtf
This page is updated with every new milestone. Want to know more about the game itself?
Source: Rockstar Newswire, GTA6Index, GTA Wiki, Destructoid