Rockstar breaks silence on GTA VI leaks, confirms November 19, 2026 release

Rockstar Games broke its silence on Wednesday following a wave of leaked gameplay footage from its highly anticipated title, Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI), describing the incident as "heartbreaking" for its team. The company reaffirmed its commitment to releasing an extended trailer tomorrow, Thursday, and to launching the game on November 19 next year without delay.

In an open letter to fans, Rockstar said: "We know many of you have been waiting to hear from us about last week's events. To say it simply, having GTA VI gameplay footage leaked in this way was heartbreaking for our team, and clearly, this is not how we wanted you to see the game after all this time."

Apology for the delay... 'The game is nearly complete'

Rockstar issued a direct apology for the lengthy development process, stating: "We are truly sorry that everything has taken so long—from finishing the game (we're almost there!) to sharing more details and official gameplay, and giving the community everything you want to know."

The company added: "We are very excited for everyone to see the extended trailer tomorrow. Preparing it took longer than we wanted, but as with everything we do, we know we have to exceed your expectations."

A call for patience despite spoilers

Rockstar acknowledged that the leaks may have impacted the intended player experience, saying: "Although it's unfortunate that the intended experience may now be affected by some spoilers, we hope everyone will wait just a bit longer to experience the game for themselves on November 19."

The company concluded by thanking its fans: "We want to thank everyone who reached out with messages of support over the past week—your words meant more to this team than you can imagine. Ultimately, we make this game for you, and without you, we wouldn't have the privilege of making games."

What happened?

The leaks began on August 18, when a group calling itself 'CyberLeek' released a series of lengthy gameplay clips featuring combat, driving, mini-games, radio stations, and large sections of the Vice City map. Rockstar remained officially silent, despite taking legal action to remove the footage.

The "GTA VI: Extended Look" trailer is set to premiere exclusively on Netflix tomorrow, Thursday, August 27, and will be available on Rockstar's YouTube channel hours later. The game is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.