Some experts believe Grand Theft Auto 6's most recent delay could cost Rockstar $500 million. The New York-based developer is no stranger to long dev cycles or big budgets, but its upcoming title is taking things to new heights. Grand Theft Auto 6 was likely already set to be the company's most expensive game to date, and now its enormous budget could balloon even more.
After multiple leaks and rumors, Rockstar officially announced another GTA 6 delay on November 6, 2025. The long-awaited follow-up to one of the best-selling games of all time will now come out on November 19, 2026, barring another delay. While it's a disappointing move for many fans, it's not necessarily a surprising one, but it could come with big cost implications for the studio.
Finance professor Rob Wilson told VideoGamer that GTA 6's six-month delay could cost half a billion in lost value and added development and marketing expenses. According to Wilson, the extra QA, marketing adjustments, and vendor complications alone could add another $350 million to the game's budget. The professor then explained that the hit from pushing a highly profitable release date back half a year, together with...
