GTA 6 timeline: every key date from 2022 to November 19, 2026

Grand Theft Auto VI launches Thursday, November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar first acknowledged the project on February 4, 2022 and officially announced it on December 4, 2023, which puts 1,081 days between Trailer 1 and launch.

Date	What happened	Source
February 4, 2022	Rockstar says development of the next GTA is “well underway”	Rockstar, via Push Square
September 18, 2022	More than 90 development videos posted without authorization	VGC
December 4, 2023	Official reveal and Trailer 1, “Coming 2025,” on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S	Take-Two, BBC News
May 16, 2024	Window narrowed to fall 2025	Take-Two
May 2, 2025	First delay, to May 26, 2026	Rockstar Newswire
May 6, 2025	Trailer 2, captured on PS5	Take-Two
November 6, 2025	Second delay, to November 19, 2026	Rockstar Newswire
June 24, 2026	Pre-orders announced, opening June 25 at midnight local time	Take-Two
August 26, 2026	Rockstar restates the date in its statement on the leaks	Rockstar on X
August 27, 2026	Extended Look on Netflix, then YouTube	Variety
October 6, 2026	ESRB rating: Mature 17+	ESRB
October 15, 2026	Launch trailer	Rockstar on YouTube
November 12, 2026	Preload opens, physical edition in stores	Take-Two
November 19, 2026	Launch	Rockstar Newswire

Before the reveal: 2022

On February 4, 2022, Rockstar said development of the next Grand Theft Auto was “well underway,” as reported by Push Square. Bloomberg’s October 14, 2026 feature traces the project further back: it was called Project Americas, and the first research trip to Miami took place in 2015. That early period is covered in our story on how the project began.

On September 18, 2022, more than 90 development videos surfaced on a forum, VGC reported. The next day Rockstar said an unauthorized third party had “illegally accessed and downloaded confidential information from our systems, including early development footage,” and, per VGC, that the leak would not delay the project.

From “2025” to November 19, 2026

Take-Two’s December 4, 2023 release announced the game as “Coming 2025.” Trailer 1 went live that evening, about 15 hours ahead of schedule, because a low-quality copy had leaked on X. On May 16, 2024, Take-Two’s release slate tightened the window to “Fall of Calendar 2025.”

The first delay landed on May 2, 2025, swapping fall 2025 for May 26, 2026. Trailer 2 followed on May 6, captured on PlayStation 5 according to Take-Two. On November 6, 2025, the second delay added 177 days and set November 19, 2026. What Take-Two said about both moves is in our report on the November 19 date.

For scale: GTA V was announced on October 25, 2011 and shipped on September 17, 2013, about 23 months later. GTA 6 has taken roughly 35 and a half months from reveal to launch. Our GTA series history places it among the earlier games.

2026: pre-orders, the Extended Look, the launch trailer

On June 24, 2026, Take-Two announced that pre-orders would open the next day at midnight local time, and set November 12, 2026 for preloading and for the physical edition reaching stores.

On August 26, 2026, eight days into the leaked videos, Rockstar kept the date and described the game as “nearly there!” The next day the Extended Look, 26 minutes and 48 seconds of footage, aired on Netflix at 3 p.m. ET before reaching YouTube six hours later, according to Variety.

The ESRB listing published October 6, 2026 rates the game Mature 17+ for two platforms, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. On October 15, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET, Rockstar released the launch trailer, about 90 seconds “captured entirely in-game from a PlayStation 5,” scored by the electronic duo Justice.

The last two dates

Preloading opens November 12, 2026, one week before launch (the steps for each console). The November 19 unlock time is tracked on our release date page.

As of October 19, 2026, no PC version has been announced (what Rockstar and Take-Two have said). A PC date joins this table the day either company publishes one.