Gaming fans have been waiting what feels like a lifetime for the next GTA game, after delays set GTA 6 back for a 2026 release.
The new instalment of the much-loved game was originally due for release in 2025, but was put back until 2026.
There are fears that more delays could be on the way, but now a listing on the Xbox store seems to suggest that 2026 date is likely to be stuck to.
Xbox players noticed that a version of GTA 6 is already available to download on the console – although you shouldn’t get too excited.
With a file size of just 328.76mb and 11 more months to wait, this downloadable file is not an early version of the game and is likely just the result of some backroom uploads that won’t lead to early gameplay.
Nonetheless, it does show that steps are getting closer to the game actually being released at long last.
For now, all we have to enjoy is the latest trailer, which presents lots of exciting details about the cast of characters we'll be meeting in Rockstar's highly anticipated upcoming open-world adventure.
Take Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick has said: "Rockstar Games is trying to create the best thing anyone's ever seen in entertainment”, adding to the excitement of the release, but as its been a decade since the release of GTA 5 - what can we expect from GTA 6?
Here is everything we know:
When is GTA 6 coming out?
GTA 6's release date is set to be released next year on May 26, 2026.
Rockstar confirmed the release date in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside an apology about the delay.
It was previously expected to be out in the Autumn of 2025 - which was initially revealed in a Take-Two financial report back in May, 2024.
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
They said: "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."
What will be in GTA 6?
The latest trailer gave us some new details of just what we can expect from the state of Leonida where the upcoming adventure is set.
It also teased some storylines when it comes to dual protagonists Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval.
It showed the pair working together to find a new beginning in the city, and we see Jason go to collect Lucia from prison, followed by several action shots of them both getting caught up in all sorts of mishaps.
The description states that the "deck is stacked against them when an easy score goes wrong", which leads them to "the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a conspiracy" that's said to stretch "across the state".
Sounds intriguing.
What other characters could we see?
From the trailers it is clear we could see whole host of other faces including one named Cal Hampton - said to be Jason's friend who is known for "snooping on Coast guard comms".
Other characters include:
- Boobie Ike - A businessman with an empire made up of a strip club, a recording studio and some prime Vice City estate.
- Dre'Quan Priest - An aspiring musician recently signed under Real Dimez who's connected to Boobie's strip club
- Bae-Luxe and Roxy - also known as Real Dimez, Bae-Luxe and Roxy are two friends who's bond stretches back to high school. Known for their strong social media presence and rap tracks, the pair are signed under Only Raw Records.
- Raul Bautista - Known for this cunning charm, Raul is an experienced bank robber who's looking out for new talent.
- Brian Heder - An older man with a history of drug running "from the golden age of smuggling in the Keys".
What platform will it be available on?
So far, it has been confirmed by the manufacturers that the game will arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X/Swhen it arrives in 2026.
Take Two said a statement: “GTA 6 is coming to PlayStation 5 computer entertainment systems and Xbox Series X|S games and entertainment systems".
So far there has been no noise as to whether it will be available on PS5 Pro.
There's currently no mention of a PC launch, which might suggest it will follow a similar path to the other GTA games and be released on consoles first, before arriving on PC at a later point .
Where will the game be set?
GTA 6 is taking us back to Vice City, a fictional region based on Florida and a game which Rockstar had huge success in 2002, and is set to be a modern day take on what the area looks like.
Rockstar revealed we'll be heading to the state of Leonida which is "home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond".
From the second trailer we were given postcard snapshots of some areas, set to feature including the the touristy area of Leonida Keys, Mount Kalaga National Park, Port Gellhorn, the home of cheap motels and strip clubs and the industrial areas of Ambrosia home to a biker gang.
What leaks have we seen?
In 2022 there was a leak of more than 90 snapshots of the game in development, leading to the developers Rockstar to issue a statement saying: “We recently suffered a network intrusion in which an unauthorised third party illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto."
A teenager was arrested by London police for the leak but then deemed psychiatrically unfit to stand trial.
The 18-year-old named Arion Kurtaj, who is autistic, was a member of the Lapsus$ hacking group, and was accused by prosecutors of hacking GTA developer Rockstar Games and then threatening to leak the GTA 6 source code.
But Kurtaj was assessed by psychiatrists who deemed him unfit to stand trial for himself. For that reason, the jury then had to determine whether he truly committed what was alleged.
He was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order, with the judge saying Kurtaj's skills and desire to commit cyber-crime meant he remained a high risk to the public.
