'Hot Turmoil:' Ex-Rockstar Dev Warns Latest Crisis Could Impact 'GTA 6' Delays
The wait for Grand Theft Auto VI, following two delays, has been a test of patience for millions of gamers worldwide. However, according to one former insider at Rockstar Games, the game's creator, the timeline could become even more complicated. Although the second delay for GTA 6 has set the release date as Nov. 19, 2026, the buzz swirling around the company has extended well beyond just the status of the beloved video game franchise.
Following more than 30 employee layoffs at Rockstar's Edinburgh office, the story quickly became national news. Protests broke out as the former employees cited "union busting" as the reason for their dismissal, a claim Rockstar adamantly denied. Regardless, the situation reached the UK government, leading to even more negative coverage.
Protests & Government Involvement: The Turmoil Surrounding Rockstar Games
As the pushback from the terminated employees escalated, a government councillor filed a motion calling for Rockstar to reverse its decision. This resulted in the Prime Minister of the UK, Sir Keir Starmer, calling the situation “deeply concerning” and promising to investigate further during a Prime Minister’s Question Time on Dec. 10, according to IWGB Game Workers.
While current employees have spoken out anonymously, voicing concerns about the co-workers Rockstar let go, a former developer for the company, animator Mike York, who worked on GTA 5, has spoken out about the controversy. During an interview with Esports Insider, York said Rockstar Games is in "hot turmoil," adding that the situation could be "contributing to the delay" of GTA 6.
"Rockstar Games are in hot turmoil right now with what’s going on in the news and people literally picketing outside their building," York said. "This situation of them firing their staff has become national news. That can cause a lot of turmoil inside the company, which could also be contributing to the delay of GTA 6."
While York added that he doesn't view that as the sole reason Rockstar hasn't released GTA VI yet, he did explain that if you "put yourself in their shoes," it wouldn't be a good look to release the game with the situation involving former employees still ongoing.
"I don’t think that’s the reason why Rockstar aren’t releasing the game, it’s just an issue that’s adding to the complications. It’s not a good look for them at the moment and it would not be a good look for them to release GTA 6 while this is still going on. If you put yourself in their shoes, I wouldn’t release it, I’d wait until the dust settles, until everyone has moved on from this. The outside noise is not helping things," York continued.
Related: ‘Fallout’ Star Ella Purnell Goes Viral for Hilarious Confession About Playing ‘GTA 6’
Waiting for the Dust to Settle: Could Rockstar Actually Delay GTA 6 Again?
It remains highly unlikely that there'll be any additional delays to the release of GTA 6, regardless of the turmoil currently surrounding Rockstar. Following the decision to push the game back to Nov. 19, 2026, Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said they're just giving the game a "high level of polish players expect and deserve," per IGN.
"[The delay is] giving the team some additional time to finish the game with the high level of polish players expect and deserve," Take-Two Interactive said in Nov. 2025. "Rockstar has our full support of course, and we are confident they will deliver an unrivalled blockbuster entertainment experience."
While players have remained as patient as possible, the most recent delay was understandably incredibly frustrating, especially given the release timelines for previous Grand Theft Auto games.
Yearly breakdown of when Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto games:
- Grand Theft Auto: 1997
- Grand Theft Auto 2: 1999
- Grand Theft Auto III: 2001
- GTA Vice City: 2002
- San Andreas: 2004
- GTA IV: 2008
- GTA V: 2013
- Upcoming - GTA VI: 2026
While game creation in 2024 and 2025 is obviously very different than what it was previously, this time differential is a stark difference regardless of how you look at it. After rolling out games every two years, including a one-year gap between GTA 3 and Vice City, the timelines increased to four, five years and now roughly 13 years.
Related: Rockstar Issues Blunt Response to Layoff Controversy Amid More 'GTA 6' Delay Fears