Grand Theft Auto VI is probably going one of the vital anticipated video games in historical past, with hundreds of thousands of gamers around the globe ready for any scrap of information or screenshot of the upcoming open-world crime simulator. Nevertheless, as distant staff wrestle with an undesirable return-to-office mandate from Rockstar Video games, Kotaku has realized from sources with data of the sport’s improvement course of that GTA 6 may miss its 2025 launch window and slip into 2026.
Formally unveiled in December 2023 (after an enormous 2022 leak) GTA 6 is the hotly anticipated follow-up to 2013’s GTA V. Over a decade after that recreation’s launch—and its large, still-growing gross sales numbers—Rockstar Video games is difficult at work on the sequel, which is about in Vice Metropolis, a fictional tackle Miami, Florida. The sport is about to come back to PS5 and Xbox Sequence someday in 2025, and internally that’s nonetheless the plan. Kotaku was informed by sources with data of the scenario that “early 2025” is at present the objective.
Nevertheless, Kotaku has additionally realized that it’s turning into increasingly more possible that the sequel won’t land till late 2025. It’s additionally doable that it may even slip into 2026 as manufacturing reportedly falls behind.
In February, following quite a few leaks, Bloomberg reported that Rockstar Video games was mandating its workers to return to work 5 days per week within the workplace starting in April. The brief discover and drastic change caught many without warning and has led to frustration from employees who really feel like they’re being pushed out after being employed remotely, as reported by Aftermath on March 19.
Whereas safety and high quality are reportedly the primary causes Rockstar is instituting the mandate to return to the workplace, I used to be informed by sources—who want to stay nameless to keep away from doable retaliation—that improvement on GTA 6 has began “falling behind.” I’m informed this has management at Rockstar nervous and frightened concerning the recreation lacking the 2025 window and slipping into 2026, and is one other massive cause the corporate is pushing for a return to the workplace in April.
In the mean time, I’m informed that Rockstar continues to be “aiming” for GTA 6 to reach in Spring 2025. Whereas an early 2025 launch is the objective, sources say they aren’t positive if it will occur and a Fall 2025 launch appears extra believable and possible. In the meantime, delaying the sport to 2026 is on the desk as a form of “fallback plan” or “emergency” possibility if wanted.
And naturally, it needs to be famous—and I used to be reminded when speaking to people about this case—that Rockstar Video games traditionally waits till the “final minute” to make adjustments or alter plans, so the subsequent trailer for the sport—no phrase on when to count on that—won’t mirror a delay as the corporate pushes ahead on improvement.
Kotaku has contacted Rockstar Video games
Talking to Aftermath, one worker shared issues that after enhancing over the previous few years, Rockstar Video games may slide again into dev crunch as GTA VI enters the ultimate a part of its lengthy improvement.
“We’re involved about going again to that,” mentioned one Rockstar worker to Aftermath.
“I’ve been by means of a few tasks, each of which had crunch. The primary one was extraordinarily troublesome. I had means much less grey hair again then. … We need to proceed the strides we’ve made as an organization to take away that poisonous tradition.”
Even when the sport is internally pushed again till late 2025 or is publicly delayed till 2026, that doesn’t imply staff—who’re being pressured to return to the workplace in opposition to their needs—received’t need to crunch. Actually, generally delays simply imply extra crunch. Regardless, it’s clear that GTA 6’s remaining 12 months or so of improvement received’t be straightforward or fast as the corporate goals for early 2025.
.