Being the center of everyone's expectations is not easy. Take-Two Interactive, publisher of the GTA (Grand Theft Auto) and Red Dead Redemption series, is finding this out the hard way. While GTA 6 had been gloriously announced for a release in 2025, the group has just officially announced a delay until May 2026. This comes as no surprise to those who follow Rockstar, the studio behind the game, but the stockmarket is taking the news badly: the stock fell more than 10% in pre-market trading in the US.

A long pedigree

Those who know Rockstar aren't falling off their chairs. The studio is no stranger to delays. GTA IV? Six months' delay and two postponements. Red Dead Redemption? Seven months and two postponements. GTA V? One postponement and an extra six months' wait. And the all-time champion remains Red Dead Redemption 2, with a year's delay for a single postponement. In this context, announcing GTA 6 for 2025 was more optimistic than certain.

Specialized journalists were not mistaken: as soon as the date was announced, many raised a skeptical eyebrow. This new delay is therefore nothing alarming for Rockstar, but beware of the mood amongst shareholders. Relations could become strained, and some are beginning to raise the specter of Cyberpunk 2077. For the record, CD Projekt's game was rushed to market after several delays. An investigation by Jason Schreier for Bloomberg revealed chaotic development conditions and immense pressure from shareholders. This resulted in a failed launch and a critical reception that was difficult to swallow.