Former Rockstar Dev Explains Why GTA 6 May Have Taken So Long To Develop

There’s no denying that the wait for Grand Theft Auto 6 has been excruciatingly long, but a former developer at Rockstar Games, who has worked on titles such as Grand Theft Auto 5 and L.A. Noire, speculates that the lengthy development time could be because the studio has rebuilt its Rage Engine from the ground up. Although Rockstar is well-known for taking its time with new releases, largely due to the fact that the studio often seeks nothing short of perfection, Grand Theft Auto 6‘s development time has been Rockstar’s longest to date. Thankfully, the wait is almost over.

Grand Theft Auto fans got their first unofficial look at GTA 6 in 2022, when a huge data breach saw over 90 pieces of gameplay footage from an in-development build leaked online. At the time, the internet was rightly skeptical as to whether or not this really was the next Grand Theft Auto game they were laying their eyes on, but confirmation from Rockstar soon arrived shortly after. The studio then revealed the first official trailer in December 2023, with a targeted release window of Fall 2025. Given Rockstar’s history with delays, the first release window seemed unlikely, and it was. The first delay pushed GTA 6 to May 26, 2026, but it wasn’t long before a second delay then moved its release date once again, this time to November 19, 2026.

Image Comparison Shows Jaw-Dropping Upgrade From GTA 5 to GTA 6

Grand Theft Auto fans show a side-by-side comparison of 2013’s GTA 5 with the upcoming GTA 6, and there’s a night-and-day difference.

Rockstar May Have Rebuilt Its Game Engine for GTA 6

As Grand Theft Auto 5 was first released in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the wait for its successor has now been 13 years. Many simply believed the long wait was because Rockstar was milking everything it could out of Grand Theft Auto Online and multiple re-releases of GTA 5, but a former developer speculates that it could have been for an entirely different reason. During a recent interview with Kiwi Talkz, former audio designer Rob Carr, who has worked on L.A. Noire, Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Red Dead Redemption 2, says Rockstar may have completely rebuilt the studio’s Rage Engine for Grand Theft Auto 6.

“I know nothing about it, other than the fact that they probably will have – given the time frame of how long it’s taken them to get to this stage – they’ve probably rebuilt the entirety of the Rage Engine,” Carr said in regards to Grand Theft Auto 6‘s long development time. “That’s the only thing I can say with real, genuine confidence.

Carr goes on to say he will be “amazed” if they haven’t rebuilt the Rage Engine, as “the architecture of technology has advanced significantly since GTA 5.” While Grand Theft Auto 5 is still a visually stunning game, especially when played on current-gen consoles or PC, there’s no denying that the trailers and screenshots from Grand Theft Auto 6 show some huge advancements. Many also forget that Rockstar always uses in-engine footage for its trailers, which means what fans see in the trailers is what GTA 6 will look like during gameplay.

The wait may have been a long one, but it’s looking like Grand Theft Auto 6‘s November release date may finally be locked in. Although there’s nothing preventing Rockstar from delaying the title for a third time, the studio’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, appears to be incredibly confident that this date is now final. The company’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has reiterated his confidence in the November 19 release date and even gone as far as to reveal that marketing for Grand Theft Auto 6 will begin in the Summer. For a company of this size, it is unheard of for marketing plans to be revealed ahead of schedule, but this is clearly Zelnick’s way of reassuring the community that there will be no further setbacks.

Given that it has been nearly an entire year since Rockstar released the second trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6, many are eager to see more from the title. However, one thing that has also been a hot topic among gamers is how much Rockstar’s next title could cost. Take-Two was one of the very first companies to increase the cost of its AAA releases from $60 to $70 when the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S launched, leading many to believe that it could be gearing up to do the same once again with GTA 6. Some analysts have even predicted that the title could cost $100 or more. For the time being, however, this remains merely speculation.