It turns out those pernicious rumors were true: "Grand Theft Auto 6" is not coming out this year.

On Friday, "GTA" maker Rockstar Games announced that the company now plans to release the game in May 2026. Shares of Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, tumbled by as much as 8% on Friday morning.

"Grand Theft Auto 6," which has been years in the making, is one of the most anticipated games of all time. An early trailer for the game, released in 2023, broke the record for most views on YouTube by a non-music video in one day with more than 93 million, Variety reported at the time. It now has more than 251 million views and ranks second among video game trailers behind mobile game 'Subway Surfers,' which has more than 361 million views .

The game's release will mark the first release of a main series "GTA" game since "Grand Theft Auto V" in 2013. The unusually long time between releases has even inspired a popular meme: "We got (insert long-awaited thing) before GTA 6."

The Empire State Building even got in on the meme after Friday's announcement.

In a statement, Rockstar said that the "interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team."

"With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception," the company said. "We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve."

In March 2024, Kotaku reported that sources close to the game's development said its release could "slip" into 2026 after reports of slowed progress and return-to-office mandates for Rockstar employees. This sparked speculation that Rockstar was behind schedule and trying to increase productivity.