Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) officially began full development in 2020. After a period of pre-development and location scouting starting around 2018, the game entered serious production in 2020. Rockstar Games announced that GTA 6 is now scheduled to be released on May 26, 2026. The delay to 2026 was announced to allow the developers additional time to achieve the expected level of quality for the game. This makes the development period for GTA 6 about six years if counting from full production start to release, which is longer than some previous Rockstar titles. In summary:

• Full development started in 2020.
• Initial scouting and pre-development around 2018-2019.
• Official release date: May 26, 2026.
• Delay announced in 2025 to maintain high quality standards.