GTA 6 Development Began ‘In Earnest’ in 2020 Following the ‘Massive Success’ of Red Dead Redemption 2, Take-Two Says

Wondering how long Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in development for? Development on the game began “in earnest” in 2020 following the success of Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar parent company Take-Two said in its financial report today — its first since the high-profile delay to GTA 6 from fall 2025 to May 26, 2026.

The use of the phrase “in earnest” of course suggests development began even earlier in an early capacity. It’s worth noting that Red Dead Redemption 2 came out in 2018, so we’re probably looking at a total development time for GTA 6 of at least eight years by the time it comes out. GTA 6’s development cost so far is estimated to be over $1 billion, which would make it the most expensive video game of all time.

For Take-Two, however, it’s all worth it. In its financial report, it said it believes “affording Rockstar additional time for such a groundbreaking project is a worthy investment,” and that’s because GTA 6 “is now the most anticipated entertainment property of all time.”

Take-Two pointed to “unprecedented” consumer anticipation, with Trailer 2’s cross-platform debut last week shattering records to become the biggest video launch of all time, with over 475 million views in 24 hours. Trailer 1 had 93 million views in 24 hours on YouTube alone.

“The ambition and complexity of Grand Theft Auto VI is greater than any previous Rockstar title, and the team is poised to release another astonishing entertainment experience that will exceed players’ expectations,” Take-Two added.

IGN spoke with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick ahead of the company’s financial results to discuss the GTA 6 delay, why it happened, and to ask how confident he now is that Rockstar will make it.

The release of GTA 6 Trailer 2 and Rockstar’s accompanying info-dump has sparked all sorts of speculation about what to expect from what is sure to be the biggest video game of all time. Some GTA fans even think Liberty City may end up in GTA 6 either at launch or as post-launch DLC.

While we wait to find out, we’ve got plenty more on GTA 6, including all the details we’ve discovered so far, a roundup of 70 brand new screenshots, and the expert opinion on how GTA 6 will look on PS5 Pro.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.