Millions of gamers will be unable to play GTA VI when it comes out as Rockstar gives official release date

Rockstar Games has announced the official release date of GTA 6, though millions won't be able to play the game once it's out.

Gaming fans all around the world were hit with some horrid news earlier today (2 May), as the long-awaited release of Grand Theft Auto VI has been pushed back.

While the trailer stated that it was 'coming 2025', a new statement from the video game developers revealed that we'll actually be waiting until 26 May, 2026, to get our hands on the title.

It will mean that at the point of its release (if it doesn't get moved back again), it would almost have been 13 years since the release of the franchise's previous instalment.

Fans had been voicing their concerns of a delay for months, and though some were convinced there were clear signs it was coming out this year, it looks like their worst fears have come true.

In an official statement posted to social media following months of silence, Rockstar thanked fans for their 'support and patience' as they aim to deliver a product that will be a 'level of quality you expect and deserve'.

But following this delay, there looks to be more problems for millions of gamers.

PC users were already wondering if they would be able to join Xbox and PlayStation users on the game's release date, but it doesn't look like this will be the case.

Console users don't need to worry, but according to the boss of Take-Two, the father company of Rockstar, PC gamers may be waiting that bit longer.

Speaking to IGN earlier this year, Strauss Zelnick explained about how the company released games: "So with Civilization 7, it's available on console and PC and Switch right away.

"With regard to others in our lineup, we don't always go across all platforms simultaneously. Historically, Rockstar has started with some platforms and then historically moved to other platforms."

PC users could be made to wait following GTA 6's release (Rockstar)

The boss was hinting towards Rockstar's track record of prioritising 'premium consoles' first, with PC versions and less powerful consoles slightly behind in the pecking order.

All we need to do is look at GTA 5's release, which came out in September 2013 on PS3 and Xbox 360, while only becoming available on PC in April 2015.

In fact, the game never came out on Nintendo Switch.

But this doesn't mean that all hope is lost, as Zelnick has given PC gamers a sliver of hope, as he spoke about focusing on preparing GTA 6 for the next generation of consoles, much like its predecessor was for the PS4 and Xbox One prior to their releases.

Regardless, the news of the game's delay will be a massive blow to those in the gaming community, with the new date coming six months after the suggested autumn window that fans expected it to be released in.

Gamers won't be seeing Lucia and Jason on their screens any time soon (Rockstar)

Instead though, fans who scoured the internet week after week for updates, were met with a painful statement by Rockstar on Friday (2 May) afternoon.

Writing in a statement on Instagram, Rockstar said: "Grand Theft Auto VI is now set to release on May 26, 2026. We are very sorry that this is later than you expected.

"The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game."

It added: "With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.

"We look forward to sharing more information with you soon."