Ex-Rockstar dev warns GTA 6 delay still on the cards

A former Rockstar Games veteran of 14 years has explained why GTA 6 may still be delayed, warning fans not to hold their breath.

After years of secrecy, when GTA 6 was finally made official, its reveal broke three world records. The debut trailer broke the internet as tens of millions of fans got their first proper look – leaks aside – at what the sequel has in store.

Now 11 years on from the last entry in the open-world series, it’s been an agonizing wait for the most dedicated fans. That wait, however, may not be ending anytime soon. Despite assuring a 2025 release in the first trailer, and executives having since doubled down in investor calls, the rumor mill has been abuzz lately with talks of a possible delay.

Although these rumors are entirely unverified, and credible sources haven’t shared anything concrete, they nonetheless have social media talking. Chiming in on it all is none other than a former Rockstar Games employee. Having worked there for 14 years, working on a handful of iconic GTA games, Obbe Vermeij has peeled back the curtain somewhat to explain why a GTA 6 delay may still come to pass.

Vermeij, having joined Rockstar in 1995, certainly knows a thing or do about releasing smash-hits. Credited for his work on GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas, GTA 4, and all the handheld games in between, his 14-year run provides some unique insight.

Speaking on the possibility of a GTA 6 delay, the dev explained how schedules often change closer to release. Right now, we’re a little too far out to gauge if GTA 6 may indeed be pushed back, he argued.

“The decision to delay GTA 4 was made four months of so before the original release date. Any further and it’s hard to make the call.

“Rockstar is probably not in a position to determine whether they will hit 2025 until May-ish,” Vermeij explained.

Although it’s been more than a decade, we’ve seen tons of gameplay through early leaks, and Rockstar’s marketing for the sequel has finally picked up, this former Rockstar dev claims it’s too early to lock anything in.

Given the enormity of GTA 6, with its enormous open world, dozens of activities, hundreds of gameplay systems, and countless interactions, it’s no small feat refining it all to Rockstar’s high-bar for quality. If things aren’t quite coming together as seamlessly as hoped for by around May, 2025, Vermeij believes a delay could follow, pushing it back to 2026.

Obviously, for now, it’s purely conjecture. Only those inside the machine itself know how the game is shaping up roughly a year out from its targeted launch. We’ll just have to keep our eyes out for any sudden intel drops as Rockstar loves to keep the community on its toes.