Development · GTA 6 development
GTA 6 timeline: the announcement, the reveal and every key date
Rockstar first announced that the next Grand Theft Auto was in development on February 4, 2022. The official reveal was Trailer 1, posted early on December 4, 2023 (US time) after it leaked. GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026, a date Rockstar announced on November 6, 2025.
- First announced
- February 4, 2022Confirmed
- Trailer 1 announced
- November 8, 2023Confirmed
- Reveal (Trailer 1)
- December 4, 2023, a day earlyConfirmed
- Trailer 1 views in 24 hours
- 90,421,491 on YouTube (Guinness)Reported
- Release date announced
- November 6, 2025Confirmed
- Launch
- November 19, 2026Confirmed
GTA 6 went from Rockstar’s first public mention to launch day in just under five years. Here is every key date, then the questions people ask most about the announcement and the reveal.
GTA 6 timeline from 2022 to 2026
| Date | What happened | Status |
|---|---|---|
| February 4, 2022 | Rockstar says development of the next Grand Theft Auto is “well underway” | Confirmed |
| September 18 to 19, 2022 | About 90 early clips leak; Rockstar confirms a network intrusion | Confirmed |
| November 8, 2023 | A message signed by Sam Houser promises the first trailer in early December | Confirmed |
| December 4, 2023 | Trailer 1 leaks on X; Rockstar posts it early, with a 2025 window | Confirmed |
| December 5, 2023 | Trailer 1 reaches 90,421,491 YouTube views in its first 24 hours, a Guinness record | Reported |
| May 2, 2025 | First delay, from 2025 to May 26, 2026 | Confirmed |
| May 6, 2025 | Trailer 2 | Confirmed |
| November 6, 2025 | Second delay, to November 19, 2026 | Confirmed |
| June 18, 2026 | Cover art and pre-order date revealed | Confirmed |
| June 25, 2026 | Pre-orders open at $79.99 and $99.99 | Confirmed |
| August 27, 2026 | “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look” premieres on Netflix | Confirmed |
| October 15, 2026 | Launch trailer | Confirmed |
| November 9, 2026 | Take-Two’s last scheduled results before launch | Confirmed |
| November 12, 2026 | Preload opens for digital pre-orders | Confirmed |
| November 19, 2026 | Launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S | Confirmed |
When was GTA 6 announced?
Rockstar first announced the game on February 4, 2022, in a Newswire update about GTA 5 and GTA Online. Its wording, as reported by VGC and TechRadar, was that active development of the next Grand Theft Auto was “well underway”.
The next step came on November 8, 2023, when a message signed by Sam Houser, marking Rockstar’s coming 25th anniversary, said the first trailer would arrive in early December. In between came the September 2022 leak of early footage, covered in GTA 6 leaks.
GTA 6 reveal: Trailer 1, December 2023
Trailer 1 was scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. After it leaked on X on Monday, December 4, Rockstar posted it early, around 6 p.m. ET, VGC reported. Rockstar’s Newswire post is dated December 5 and reads “Coming 2025 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.”
Guinness World Records certified 90,421,491 YouTube views in the first 24 hours, the record for a video game reveal, and 8.9 million likes, the most for a video game trailer. Rockstar says Trailer 2, released May 6, 2025, drew 475 million views across all platforms in 24 hours, its own unaudited figure. Every trailer is in GTA 6 trailers.
When was the GTA 6 release date announced?
Rockstar announced the current date, November 19, 2026, on November 6, 2025, saying it needed the extra months for polish. That replaced May 26, 2026, announced on May 2, 2025 in place of the 2025 window. Both moves are in GTA 6 delays and the original GTA 6 release date.
GTA 6 launch timeline for November 2026
- November 9: Take-Two reports results after the US market closes, with a call at 4:30 p.m. ET.
- November 12: preloads open, and boxed copies, which hold a download code and no disc, become available.
- November 19: launch day. The countdown is on the GTA 6 release date page.
For the years of work behind these dates, see GTA 6 development.
GTA 6 timeline: common questions
When was GTA 6 first announced?
On February 4, 2022, when Rockstar said in a Newswire update that active development of the next Grand Theft Auto was well underway. The official reveal came later, with Trailer 1 in December 2023.
When was the GTA 6 reveal?
Trailer 1 was due at 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. It leaked on X the day before, so Rockstar posted it around 6 p.m. ET on Monday, December 4, VGC reported.
When was the GTA 6 release date announced?
Rockstar announced November 19, 2026 on November 6, 2025. Its first exact date, May 26, 2026, was announced on May 2, 2025. See GTA 6 delays.
How long after the announcement does GTA 6 come out?
From the February 4, 2022 announcement to the November 19, 2026 launch is about 4 years and 9 months. From Trailer 1 it is just under three years.
Sources
- A message from Rockstar Games (Rockstar Games Newswire)
- Grand Theft Auto VI: watch Trailer 1 now (Rockstar Games Newswire)
- Grand Theft Auto VI is now coming May 26, 2026 (Rockstar Games Newswire)
- Grand Theft Auto VI: watch Trailer 2 now (Rockstar Games Newswire)
- Grand Theft Auto VI is now set to launch November 19, 2026 (Rockstar Games Newswire)
- Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders begin on June 25 (Rockstar Games Newswire)
- Rockstar Games announces pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI (Take-Two Interactive)
- Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look (Rockstar Games Newswire)
- Watch the Grand Theft Auto VI launch trailer (Rockstar Games Newswire)
- Take-Two to report second quarter fiscal year 2027 results on November 9, 2026 (Take-Two Interactive via Business Wire)
- Most viewed videogame reveal on YouTube in 24 hours (Guinness World Records)
- Grand Theft Auto 6 development is well underway, Rockstar says (Video Games Chronicle)
- GTA 6 is in active development and well underway, according to Rockstar (TechRadar)
- The GTA 6 trailer has allegedly leaked online (Video Games Chronicle)
- Rockstar Games confirms Grand Theft Auto leak (CNN)
- The latest GTA 6 trailer racked up 475 million views in 24 hours (TechRadar)
