GTA 6 Online May Be Delayed Until 2027 or 2028, Report

If you were planning to jump into GTA 6's online world the moment it ships, consider pausing that hype train for a beat. New reporting suggests Rockstar Games could hold back the multiplayer component for a year or two after the single-player game arrives.

Forbes sources indicate the studio might not switch on GTA 6 Online until 2027 or even 2028. Why would a company famous for blockbuster live-service cash cows take that route? Simple: focus. Pushing the online suite later gives Rockstar room to concentrate on the narrative campaign and polish the base game without the distraction of building, balancing, and supporting a massive multiplayer ecosystem at launch.

What this means for players and the studio

GTA Online remains a money-making machine. It still pulls in serious revenue for Rockstar, which eases the pressure to rush out a new multiplayer alternative. With the current online platform still thriving, the incentive to have a ready-made successor on day one is smaller than you might expect.

So expect a staggered rollout: single-player first, online later. That stagger could translate into a more refined story mode and—if Rockstar plays this smart—a better-built online experience when it finally arrives.

The single-player GTA 6 is slated to launch on 19 November for ninth-generation consoles. Rockstar has not announced a PC release date, leaving that window open for now.

Will players be patient? Some will. Others will grumble. But from a development standpoint, delaying multiplayer to protect the quality of the core game is a defensible call. It’s a gamble on long-term goodwill over a short-lived launch spectacle.

Keep an eye on official Rockstar updates. If Forbes is correct, the next chapter of Grand Theft Auto’s online life might arrive well after the single-player fireworks fade—but potentially in a stronger, more considered form.