Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI) from Rockstar Games is the most anticipated game of the decade and is set for release on consoles on 19th November 2026. The game was already delayed several times, initially slated for ‘some time in 2025’, then 26th May 2026, and finally November 2026. In fact, the first trailer for GTA VI (280m views) was released in December 2023, with the second trailer (163m views) released in May 2025, with the final release date being announced back in November 2025. I mention this timeline for context because the anticipation for GTA VI is extraordinary, with the combined views of the first two trailers alone being nearly 500 million.
Although not confirmed by Rockstar, the game is said to cost between $1bn-$1.5bn (and possibly much more) to develop over nearly a decade and is set to be the most expensive entertainment project in history. Launch day itself, therefore, is set to be massive and will clearly overshadow any other game launches by a long margin. Let’s not forget that GTA V’s development cost was around $265m, but this is dwarfed by GTA VI. It’s also worth noting that the PC version of GTA V was released in April 2015, nearly two years after the console version, so don’t expect the PC version of GTA VI to see the light of day until sometime in 2028 at the earliest.
The Timing Of A Game Launch Is Crucial
Apparently, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the optimal days for launching a new video game, which is why GTA VI is launching on Thursday, 19th November. Not only that, Rockstar Games is taking advantage of the pre-Christmas sales boost, not to mention the Black Friday spending frenzy. It’s also curious to note that no other major AAA game publishers are set to launch in October, November, or December 2026, or, as one writer put it, this is to avoid GTA VI eating their lunch.
Such is the gravitational pull of the GTA VI launch; at least one major launch has been rescheduled, that being Fable from Playground Games, which is now being released in February 2027. Coincidentally, Fable is from the same developers of Forza Horizon 6, released last month, when most Forza Horizon games are usually launched in the autumn.
Grand Theft Auto V has generated nearly $10 billion in worldwide revenue and shipped almost 230 million copies since its release in 2013. It holds the record for the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, famously grossing $800 million in its first 24 hours and surpassing $1 billion in just three days
GTA VI will probably retail for around $70 for the standard version, so one would expect it to beat its predecessor by a long margin. I don’t have a console, so I will have to wait for the PC release, but will be watching developments very keenly!
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