Fans react to Rockstar delaying GTA 6 until 2026: Disappointment spreads online

GTA 6 has been officially delayed to May 26, 2026, and the highly anticipated title from the Grand Theft Auto series is no longer set to be released in 2025, as previously announced. This has sparked a flurry of activity on social media, with fans expressing disappointment about the delay, but also relief that the game now has a definite release date.
The announcement essentially came via Rockstar Games ' official social media handles, with the same message stating that they wish to exceed expectations and require additional time to deliver the game at the highest level of quality.
In this article, we take a look at some of the fan reactions about Rockstar delaying GTA 6 to May 2026.
Gaming community reacts to Rockstar delaying GTA 6 to 2026

Grand Theft Auto VI is now set to release on May 26, 2026. https://t.co/YgaIn1cYc8 pic.twitter.com/cyeK7GM6Ob

— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) May 2, 2025

Delays have become quite common in the modern AAA gaming landscape, and for a title like GTA 6, this was already anticipated by many. Nevertheless, the official announcement by Rockstar still hit hard, given that the fans have been awaiting the new Grand Theft Auto game for a long time.
Online reaction to this has been swift, with people jumping onto the scene almost immediately. Some have been sharing memes about it, whereas a section of fans has truly expressed their frustration. GTA 6 Countdown, which is a popular handle on X, stated this about the delay: "If you are gonna delay it, at least give us some screenshots. This marketing strategy may be working for you, but it is painful for the fans.”

If you are gonna delay it, at least give us some screenshots.

This marketing strategy may be working for you, but it is painful for the fans

— GTA 6 Countdown ⏳ (@GTAVI_Countdown) May 2, 2025

Another fan stated: “13 years to make a single video game is f***ing insane." Although the majority of the gaming community has been showing their frustration, some have positively taken this delay and have compared it with past situations where extended development resulted in a better game.
Regardless, humor has been constant, with fans coming up with jokes like “We got a GTA 6 delay before GTA 6” and “This game’s been cooking longer than some people’s relationships lasted." Some other funny ones include: “Tell Rockstar to stop making April fool jokes in May" “You guys have enough time to make another edition of GTA5 I believe in you Rockstar."

You guys have enough time to make another edition of GTA5 I believe in you Rockstar

— Besk (@BeskInfinity) May 2, 2025

Despite the overall disappointment, the best part of Rockstar’s announcement of delaying GTA 6 is that a concrete release date has finally been nailed down. This announcement, even with a delay, marks a rare moment of clarity that the fans dearly needed.
The wait for the game is now around a year, and the upcoming months are likely going to be filled with a lot of speculation, possible trailer releases, and deep dives into every new piece of information that comes out of the developers.