GTA VI news of the week #1: “no more delays” and a trailer in late June

The quarterly report from Take-Two, Rockstar’s publisher, turned out to carry far more than anyone expected. CEO Strauss Zelnick made several important statements in one go.

First, the date. The release is November 19, 2026, and per Zelnick there will be no more delays. “Confirming November 19 as the launch date is probably a positive,” he said. Take-Two is confident enough that the company has baked $8.2 billion of revenue into its forecast for the next fiscal year — largely on the back of GTA VI.

Second, the thing everybody was waiting for: the marketing window. The campaign rolls out in late June to early July. Pre-orders start alongside it, and that is when the price gets named too (per Zelnick’s comments, roughly $70–80, the usual AAA range). Which means the third trailer logically belongs in that same window. Marketing, per Take-Two, won’t be a copy of the GTA V campaign — the bet is on social media and creators.

Why it matters: these are the most concrete timings in a long while. Short version: the next month is quiet, and everything interesting — trailer, pre-orders, price — starts in late June. It also puts the scary “third delay” headlines to bed: there is no new delay.

The big fan theory of the week: the third trailer drops on May 23. The logic is elegant — on May 23, 1934 the famous outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were killed in Louisiana, and GTA VI’s Jason and Lucia are plainly inspired by that pair.

One problem: the date contradicts Take-Two itself. If marketing and the trailer are scheduled for late June to early July, a May 23 trailer isn’t something to count on.

Why it matters: the theory is a great story, but official comments beat pretty coincidences. May 23 will most likely pass quietly — Take-Two has already named the real trailer window itself.

Early in the week a rumor spread that GTA VI pre-orders would open on May 18 — sourced from an automated mailout and affiliate links at Best Buy.

By the end of the week it was closed for good: a verified distributor post on GTAForums confirmed that May 18 was an old internal placeholder date the retailer had entered months ago. No pre-orders opened on May 18.

Why it matters: it now lines up with the Take-Two report — pre-orders start in late June, not in May. Game listings sitting in retailer systems are just advance prep.

Reports are going around that a Nintendo Switch 2 version of GTA VI is not only in development but might ship at the same time as the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions — and that it could be shown soon.

An important caveat: one of the insiders (Nash Weedle) reckons a Switch 2 version could theoretically make the release date, but doubts it himself and isn’t expecting it in the next trailer.

Why it matters: officially Rockstar has only ever named PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Switch 2 is a rumor for now; until Rockstar says so, treat it carefully.

Alongside the official news, gameplay “leaks” and rumor roundups ran all week. Three things came up most often:

• the return of the classic six-star wanted level;
• Red Dead Redemption 2-style interaction mechanics — greeting or antagonizing passers-by;
• a relationship system between Jason and Lucia where player choices can affect how missions end.

Why it matters: it all sounds plausible, and it is all still unconfirmed rumor. A reminder: the overwhelming majority of “GTA 6 leaks” online are fakes, AI video or footage from GTA V mods. We wait for official material.

To finish: a video I came across this week that spread widely in the GTA VI corner of the internet. Dropping it here as the video of the week.

Small caveat, in the spirit of the previous item: it is presented as a leak, and GTA VI leaks deserve skepticism — there is nowhere to verify them anyway. But as a snapshot of what the community is chewing on right now, it’s interesting. Watch it and draw your own conclusions.