“Grand Theft Auto VI” is going to motor out several months later than expected. Rockstar Games, publisher of the hugely popular franchise, announced Friday that “GTA 6” is now set to release on May 26, 2026. That’s on the Tuesday following the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. next year. Previously, the company was saying the action-adventure open world title was on track for a fall 2025 launch, though a specific release date was never set. Related Stories “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,” Rockstar said in a statement Friday. Popular on Variety The game publisher continued, “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.” “GTA 6” is the first major installment in the cars-and-mayhem game series in more than a decade. The new title stars Lucia, the franchise’s first female protagonist, and takes place in Vice City, the Miami-inspired locale that was the setting for 2002’s “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.” Take-Two Interactive, parent of Rockstar, has been telling “GTA” fans — and Wall Street — that the tentpole game was set for a release window this fall, but had continued to avoid setting a specific launch date. “We’ve announced a pretty narrow window [for ‘GTA 6’]. So I think our view is that right now, that’s fine,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told Variety in February. Rockstar hasn’t released pricing details for “GTA 6” yet. The game’s fifth major installment, first released in 2013, remains one of the industry’s biggest live gaming services. “GTA V” has sold more than 200 million copies and generated more than $8 billion in revenue over its lifetime. “We support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision for ‘Grand Theft Auto VI, ‘which promises to be a groundbreaking, blockbuster entertainment experience that exceeds audience expectations,” Take-Two’s Zelnick said in a statement Friday. “While we take the movement of our titles seriously and appreciate the vast and deep global anticipation for ‘Grand Theft Auto VI,’ we remain steadfast in our commitment to excellence. As we continue to release our phenomenal pipeline, we expect to deliver a multi-year period of growth in our business and enhanced value for our shareholders.” Zelnick will have to address investors and analysts in further detail regarding Rockstar’s decision to delay “GTA 6” until next May when the company reports its latest quarterly earnings results May 15. The “GTA 6” move comes on the heels of Ubisoft’s choice to shift the release of “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” not once, but twice, amid quality concerns in the development cycle. Though that decision saw a lot of backlash, when the game finally released in March it was to rave reviews and impressive sales. Rockstar’s decision to shift “GTA 6” also comes amid economic uncertainty and fears over how President Donald Trump’s tariffs will impact all industries, including gaming, with Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation making adjustments to pricing in response. Take-Two’s next big release is the Gearbox and 2K’s “Borderlands 4,” which will now launch Sept. 12, 2025 — 11 days earlier than 2K had previously announced. Now dig into a VIP+ subscriber special report …