Rockstar first confirmed in February 2022 that active development on the next Grand Theft Auto was well underway. In November 2023, co-founder Sam Houser marked the studio's 25th anniversary by announcing that the first trailer would arrive in early December. Our timeline picks up from that reveal. To see where the places unveiled across these updates sit in Leonida, open our GTA 6 interactive map.
Five key moments
Trailer 1 reveals Grand Theft Auto VI
Rockstar's 91-second debut trailer officially confirmed the title Grand Theft Auto VI, introduced Lucia and the fictional state of Leonida (home to Vice City), and set a 2025 release window for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Although Rockstar had scheduled the premiere for 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, December 5, the studio published the trailer early on the evening of December 4 (US time) after an unauthorized copy surfaced online.
Why it mattered: It gave players their first official look at modern-day Vice City and established the 2025 launch window that both later delays would move away from.
Official sources: Trailer 1 post on Rockstar Newswire, original schedule announcement
First delay to 2026, followed by Trailer 2 and the Leonida tour
On May 2, 2025, Rockstar pushed the release out of 2025 to May 26, 2026, explaining that the team needed additional time to deliver the level of quality players expect. Just four days later, Rockstar released Trailer 2 (2:47) and relaunched the official GTA VI website with character profiles for Jason Duval, Lucia Caminos, and the supporting cast, alongside dedicated galleries for six regions of Leonida: Vice City, the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Ambrosia, and Mount Kalaga National Park.
Why it mattered: While the delay ended hopes for a 2025 release, Trailer 2 and the website update delivered the bulk of our geographic knowledge of the state, forming the foundation of our GTA 6 regions guide and GTA 6 interactive map.
Official sources: May 2 delay announcement, Trailer 2 post on Rockstar Newswire, Only in Leonida official site
Second delay sets the final launch date: November 19, 2026
Rockstar moved the release date a second time, shifting launch from May 26 to Thursday, November 19, 2026 to allow six more months of polish. Take-Two Interactive confirmed the new date in its quarterly earnings report the same day.
Why it mattered: This is the launch date that held. Take-Two reaffirmed November 19 in May and August 2026, and Rockstar's November 3, 2026 pre-load announcement locked it in for launch week. See our GTA 6 release date guide for the full launch schedule.
Official sources: Rockstar Newswire announcement, Take-Two fiscal Q2 2026 results
Cover art, edition pricing, and pre-orders
After unveiling the official cover art on June 18, Rockstar detailed the game's two editions on June 24 and opened pre-orders at midnight local time on June 25. On the US PlayStation Store and Xbox Store, the Standard Edition is priced at $79.99 (sold digitally or as a retail Code in Box with no disc) and the digital-only Ultimate Edition is priced at $99.99. Rockstar also confirmed that orders placed before November 20, 2026 include the Vintage Vice City Pack, while digital console store orders add a month of GTA+ for GTA Online.
Why it mattered: It settled pricing, edition contents, and physical format questions, confirmed that GTA VI launches as a single-player experience, and let players pre-order for the first time.
Official sources: edition and pre-order details, pre-order date announcement, official GTA VI site
An Extended Look debuts nearly 27 minutes of PS5 footage
First announced on August 6, Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look premiered globally on Netflix at 3 p.m. ET on August 27 before landing on YouTube and Rockstar's website at 9 p.m. ET. Running 26 minutes and 48 seconds, the showcase was captured entirely in-game on PlayStation 5, blending story missions and cutscenes with an extended montage of open-world side activities.
Why it mattered: It offered the first deep look at GTA 6's core mechanics, including character switching, the six-star wanted system, and car theft tools. We break down every timestamp in our GTA 6 gameplay guide.
Official sources: An Extended Look on Rockstar Newswire, August 6 premiere announcement
How the release date moved
Two of the five milestones above were schedule changes. Here is how Rockstar's official launch target evolved over time:
| Target | Set on | Announced by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | (US time) | Rockstar (Trailer 1) | Replaced |
| Fall 2025 | Take-Two fiscal Q4 2024 results | Replaced | |
| May 26, 2026 | Rockstar (first delay) | Replaced | |
| Thursday, November 19, 2026 | Rockstar (second delay) and Take-Two | Current |
After August 2026
Following the August gameplay showcase, Rockstar shifted focus to music, launch trailers, and pre-load logistics. On September 17, 2026, the studio announced Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, set to release alongside the game on November 19. On October 15, 2026, Rockstar published the 89-second Launch Trailer.
On November 3, 2026, a launch update moved digital pre-loading forward from November 12 to November 10 (midnight local time on PS5, 00:00 GMT on Xbox Series X|S), sized the download at up to 212 GB, and noted that physical Code in Box copies are expected at stores starting November 12. Rockstar also confirmed that a free printable map of Leonida will go live on the official website on launch day, November 19, 2026.
Until the official map arrives on November 19, every pin on our GTA 6 interactive map is an approximate estimate drawn from Rockstar's trailers, screenshots, and announcements. For quick answers to other common questions, visit the GTA 6 FAQ, or pass the time in Los Santos with our GTA 5 interactive map, GTA 5 cheats, and GTA 5 vehicle locations guides.
Reported, not official
Treat these figures and dates as press reports rather than official announcements. Guinness World Records certified Trailer 1 as the most-viewed videogame reveal on YouTube in its first 24 hours with roughly 90.4 million views (reported by Push Square), while TweakTown relayed a Rockstar figure of over 475 million cross-platform views in 24 hours for Trailer 2. Finally, while Rockstar has not announced a PC version as of November 9, 2026, GamesBeat reported on October 13 via four anonymous sources that a PC release is planned for Q1 2027 (January to March).
Sources
Every fact on this page links to its original official announcement or press report.
- Grand Theft Auto Community Update (Rockstar Games Newswire, )
- A Message from Rockstar Games (Rockstar Games Newswire, )
- Trailer 1: Tuesday, December 5, 9AM ET (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, )
- Only in Leonida (characters and regions) (Rockstar Games)
- 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, )
- Pre-Order Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25 (Rockstar Games Newswire, )
- Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look (Rockstar Games Newswire, )
- Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, Now Playing (Rockstar Games Newswire, )
- Announcing Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album (Rockstar Games Newswire, )
- Watch the Grand Theft Auto VI Launch Trailer (Rockstar Games Newswire, )
- Grand Theft Auto VI Pre-Load Begins on November 10 (Rockstar Games Newswire, )
- Grand Theft Auto VI official site (editions and videos) (Rockstar Games)
- Take-Two fiscal Q4 2024 results (Take-Two Interactive (SEC filing), )
- Take-Two fiscal Q2 2026 results (Take-Two Interactive (SEC filing), )
- Take-Two fiscal Q4 2026 results (Take-Two Interactive (SEC filing), )
- Take-Two fiscal Q1 2027 results (Take-Two Interactive (SEC filing), )
- Grand Theft Auto VI on PlayStation Store (US) (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Grand Theft Auto VI on Xbox Store (US) (Microsoft)
- Trailer 1 went live early, on the evening of December 4, 2023 (US time) (The Verge, )
- Trailer 1 views in its first 24 hours (Guinness World Records figures) (Push Square)
- Trailer 2 views in its first 24 hours (Rockstar figure) (TweakTown)
- Grand Theft Auto VI pricing, Ultimate Edition and pre-order bonuses announced (Gematsu, )
- Report: GTA VI PC version planned for January to March 2027 (four anonymous sources, unconfirmed) (GamesBeat, )