Why GTA 6 Cancellation Rumors Are Spiking Right Now

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The gaming community remains on high alert about the highly anticipated next installment of the beloved Grand Theft Auto series. While GTA VI, or GTA 6 as some call it, has arguably the most hype behind a video game ever, the lengthy delays and multiple release date pushbacks have led some fans to speculate, and others to joke, that GTA 6 may never actually come to fruition. While that’s not truly going to happen, the fact that it’ll be more than 18 years since the release of Grand Theft Auto V when GTA VI is now expected to hit stores has brought plenty of frustration.

Tacking on that it took five years for Rockstar to release GTA 5 after the 2008 release of Grand Theft Auto IV doesn’t help. The GTA 5 Apk For Android Free Download No Survey latest pushback date sets the new game’s release on Nov. 19, 2026, but the weeks surrounding the news have made headlines. This includes 30 employees whom Rockstar fired, a move that drew pushback from those let go, who accused the company of “union-busting,” according to Bloomberg. Now, the latest comments from Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser come at a less-than-ideal time.

‘Focused on Making Money:’ Rockstar Co-Founder’s Industry Warning

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Dan Houser speaks during In Conversation with Dan Houser: Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and now American Caper at 2025 Los Angeles Comic Con at Los Angeles Convention Center on September 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images)

While Houser was a co-founder of Rockstar Games, he departed the company in 2020 to start a new company, Absurd Ventures. However, the timing of his latest comments is certainly noteworthy. As Dexerto revealed, Houser spoke on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch show to promote his new novel, A Better Paradise, and discussed the future of the video game landscape.

In short, Houser warned of the “danger” of companies being distracted by money, citing the possibility that the industry could become “overly focused on making money.”

“With all things, it can either go somewhere really interesting or somewhere that gets overly focused on making money,” Houser said, adding, “There’s always that danger with any commercial art form that they get distracted by money. I think there’s still a big ceiling creatively to make living narrative experiences.”

Houser did pivot slightly when asked which side would win out, stating that he thinks they’ll “both win.” He specifically pointed to “spaces in the games industry where they both kind of win.”

Regardless, Houser’s comments don’t point in any direction for Rockstar Games or about Grand Theft Auto VI. If anything, the lengthy delay in the creation of GTA 6 would likely signal the company’s focus on the game’s performance itself rather than the possibility of a desire/focus on the income side.

Why GTA 6 Cancellation Rumors Are Spiking Right Now

The timeline and continuous delays related to Grand Theft Auto VI remain a concern for players, though, and obviously, any comment like this is bound to turn heads and grab some attention.

Regardless, the future of Grand Theft Auto VI isn’t in any form of danger. Following the recent delay, many players and fans likely flocked to social media, where the overwhelming number of jokes (and some partially serious comments) is overwhelming.

Here’s a look at the timeline since the initial announcement of GTA 6:

February 2022: Rockstar Games announces it’s working on GTA 6.
December 2023: The first Grand Theft Auto VI trailer is released, citing the game’s release slated for 2025.
May 2025: Rockstar announces the delay of GTA VI to May 2026.
November 2025: Rockstar announces the second day of GTA 6 to Nov. 19, 2026.

Although this timeline and the 18-year gap between new releases in the Grand Theft Auto franchise are understandable points of frustration, all signs do point to the game being released in late 2026, as the company stated.