Grand Theft Auto 6 won't be delayed again, according to Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, who said as much during a recent earnings call. His statement serves as likely the last update on the game's release date before GTA 6 pre-orders officially start.
The long-awaited next entry in Rockstar's open-world crime scene has suffered two major delays since its announcement in late 2023. The most recent of those was announced in November 2025, when GTA 6 was delayed until November 19, 2026.
GTA 6 on track to hit its November 2026 release date, Take-Two says
Although Rockstar's continued radio silence about the game recently led some fans to speculate that a third delay was on the cards, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says that won't be the case. Speaking to Bloomberg on May 21, Zelnick confirmed the game's November 19 release date as final and reiterated that pre-orders will begin in the immediate future. Asked about the latest Best Buy leak GTA 6 pre-orders were targeting mid-May 2026, Zelnick said he didn't know where the rumor came from but dismissed it as false.
GTA 6 pre-orders likely won't open until June 21, 2026
While addressing the Best Buy rumor, Take-Two's boss noted that pre-orders typically coincide with the start of full-scale marketing campaigns, suggesting the same will be true for Rockstar's long-awaited release. Zelnick has repeatedly said so GTA 6 marketing campaign is expected to begin in the summer of 2026, at the latest repeating that timeline in late April. While the industry veteran has yet to narrow down that window, a summer launch suggests pre-orders could open as early as June 21 and as late as September 23.
Given the marketing cycles of Rockstar's three most recent AAA open-world games, GTA 6 The promotion is likely to intensify with the release of the game's third trailer, which may not necessarily coincide with the official start of its pre-orders. Regardless, since the first two trailers mainly focused on establishing the setting and main characters, the third trailer is widely expected to serve as the much-anticipated gameplay reveal. While Rockstar will likely keep some details under wraps until closer to release, such a reveal would likely offer at least a first look at the game's HUD, character switching mechanics, and other core building blocks GTA 6 experience.
The ultimate · GTA challenge Desired Level: Trivia “You forget a thousand things every day – make sure this isn't one of them.”
🏙CitiesWelcome to LS
🎮GameplayLost!
🎭CharactersAll we had, CJ
📸CultureSatirical genius
🏆HeritageSince 1997
01
Liberty City is one of the most iconic locations in the GTA series. What real city is it primarily based on?
✓ Right! Liberty City is Rockstar's fictional version of New York City, with neighborhoods modeled after Manhattan (Algonquin), Brooklyn (Broker), Queens (Dukes), Bronx (Bohan) and New Jersey (Alderney).
✗ Wasted! The answer is New York City. Liberty City mirrors NYC with its neighborhoods, landmarks and gritty atmosphere – first appearing in the original GTA and most fully realized in GTA IV.
02
In GTA: San Andreas, CJ's Grove Street Families are locked in a turf war with a purple-wearing rival gang. What are they called?
✓ Right! The Ballas, identifiable by their purple clothing, are the main antagonists in the history of San Andreas gang warfare. Their rivalry with Grove Street drives much of the game's plot.
✗ Wasted! The answer is The Ballas. Wearing purple and controlling the territory of Los Santos, they are CJ's main rivals. The Vagos and Aztecas are other gangs in the game, but The Ballas are the primary enemy.
03
GTA: Vice City featured a Hollywood star voicing the main character Tommy Vercetti. Which actor brought him to life?
✓ Right! Ray Liotta, known for his role in Goodfellas, voiced Tommy Vercetti. His iconic performance helped establish GTA: Vice City as one of the most memorable entries in the series.
✗ Wasted! The answer is Ray Liotta. Known for playing Henry Hill in Goodfellas, Liotta brought the same charismatic menace to Tommy Vercetti in Vice City's neon-drenched 1980s Miami setting.
04
Which of the three playable protagonists in GTA V is a retired bank robber living in a mansion under witness protection with a dysfunctional family?
✓ Right! Michael De Santa (formerly Townley) faked his death and went into witness protection in Rockford Hills. His midlife crisis and return to crime drive much of GTA V's story.
✗ Wasted! The answer is Michael De Santa. Michael's boredom with retirement and troubled family life draws him back into the criminal world, living under an assumed name in his Vinewood mansion.
05
In previous GTA games from the 3D era, touching water meant instant death. Which game in the series first introduced the ability to swim?
✓ Right! GTA: San Andreas finally lets players swim, dive, and even improve CJ's lung capacity through exercise. In GTA III and Vice City, falling into water was a death sentence.
✗ Wasted! The answer is GTA: San Andreas (2004). It was the first game in the 3D era to add swimming as a mechanic, ending the long-standing joke about criminals not being able to survive a puddle.
06
GTA V satirizes real tech culture with a fictional social media company. What is it called?
✓ Right! Lifeinvader is GTA V's parody on Facebook, complete with a Steve Jobs-like CEO named Jay Norris. The “Friend Request” mission involving the Lifeinvader is one of the game's most memorable moments.
✗ Wasted! The answer is Lifeinvader. It's GTA V's satirical take on Facebook. Bleeter is gaming's Twitter parody, and Eyefind is its Google equivalent – but Lifeinvader is the social media giant.
07
The very first Grand Theft Auto was originally developed by DMA Design (now Rockstar North). What year was it released?
✓ Right! The original Grand Theft Auto was launched in 1997 for PC and PlayStation. Its controversial top-down open-world gameplay sparked both outrage and a multibillion-dollar franchise.
✗ Wasted! The answer is 1997. The original GTA was a top-down game developed by DMA Design in Dundee, Scotland. Despite its humble graphics, the open world crime concept was revolutionary.
08
Trevor Philips runs his own criminal enterprise from Sandy Shores in GTA V. What is the official name of his business?
✓ Right! Trevor Philips Enterprises (TPE) is Trevor's self-developed business, which mainly deals in guns and methamphetamine. Only Trevor would give his criminal activity a corporate-sounding name.
✗ Wasted! The answer is Trevor Philips Enterprises. Abbreviated TPE, it's Trevor's hilariously legitimate name for his meth and gun-dealing business in the Blaine County desert.
Mission completed Your criminal record
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Did you pass – or were you wasted?
GTA 6 Online reveal may not come before Fall 2026
The multiplayer component of the game, in effect the successor to GTA onlinemay be revealed in a separate trailer after pre-orders begin. That's exactly what happened to GTA 5whose pre-orders opened on November 5, 2012, more than nine months earlier GTA online was teased in mid-August 2013. Then GTA 5 launched about two weeks before its hugely successful multiplayer mode, a similar timeline may be in place for GTA 6meaning its online component may not be revealed until fall 2026. The launch day version of the game will only be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Rockstar has yet to formally commit to one GTA 6 PC version, though one is expected to arrive within a year or two of the game's console debut, based on the developer's contemporary track record.
