In what has to be the most unsurprising news of 2025,Grand Theft Auto 6has been delayed into 2026. This news may be disappointing to some, but all the signs have been pointing to it happening for months. Rockstar has been working onGTA 6for quite a while and evidently wants to make it its best game yet, which is one of the main reasons for it delaying the game all the way into next year and well beyond its once projected and frankly rather vague Fall 2025 release date.
Of course,GTA 6’sdefinitive release dateallows fans to rest easy, as a specific date means they know exactly which week to book off work. However, what hasn’t been made completely clear is exactly whyGrand Theft Auto 6has been delayed. Rockstar has given a relatively broad answer which will satisfy most fans, butthere’s a distinct possibility that it has something to do with the Nintendo Switch 2, the long-awaited console that’s launching later this year.
GTA 6 Might Release On Switch 2
There’s Always A Possibility
A lot of Nintendo fans have wantedGrand Theft Autoon the Switch for a long time. WhileGTA 5never made it to the handheld,fans have been holding out hope that its successor,Grand Theft Auto 6, would come to the Switch 2.Rockstar’s Switch 2 supportwould indicate that it’s more than willing to bring over its extensive library, with many anticipating that we’ll get aRed Dead Redemption 2or even aGTA 5port sooner rather than later. That would be great, especially considering Switch fans can currently only play the firstRed Deadgame.
Rockstar has portedL.A. Noire,Red Dead Redemption, and theGrand Theft Auto Trilogyto the Nintendo Switch. Outside theGTA Trilogyport, which was extremely buggy at launch, the other two have been extremely well-received. Rockstar also has a good history of bringing games to Nintendo platforms, such asGTA: Chinatown Wars, which was released on the Nintendo DS, the first twoGTAgames getting Game Boy Color versions, andBullylaunching for the Wii.
Considering the huge number of original Switch sales - which made it one of thebest-selling consoles of all time-it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Rockstar attempt to putGrand Theft Auto 6on the Switch 2in anticipation of it also selling incredibly well. We’re also gettingCyberpunk 2077on the Switch 2, a game many presumed would never grace a Nintendo platform for at least a few more generations. WhileGTA 6will almost certainly be a more intensive game, it does give one hope of seeing a Switch 2 port down the line.
While there are plenty of reasons why aGTA 6Switch 2 portwould work, it obviously doesn’t mean that Rockstar is working on one. After all, it hasn’t officially announced a Switch 2 version ofGrand Theft Auto 6and likely won’t any time soon. However,if it is working on one, which is altogether possible, then its unfortunate delay into 2026 could have been caused by it, especially if Rockstar needed extra time to get the game working on Nintendo’s impressive yet ultimately limited new hardware.
GTA 6’s Switch 2 Port Could Have Caused The Delay
Rockstar Could Need More Time To Make It Work
According to theofficial Rockstar Website,GTA 6was delayed in order to meet the high expectations of players and to deliver the best product possible come launch day, even if it comes at the cost ofbreaking a Rockstar tradition. That’s the obvious response to such a devastating delay, even if it is exceptionally broad. There’s no discussion of which aspects need refining before launch, if the current iteration of the game is buggy, or if indeed, the polish required is for a potential Nintendo Switch 2 port. The press release explained that:
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. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve. We look forward to sharing more information with you soon.
It certainly wouldn’t be the firstGTAgame to be delayed due to technical issues, asGTA IVwas also delayed due to issues with the PS3 and Xbox 360. A somewhat logical explanation - especially if you buy into the idea thatGTA 6is coming to Nintendo’s new console - is thatRockstar needs more time to ensure that the Switch 2 port runs flawlessly, so it can release them all simultaneously. At the very least, it’s possible it is still experimenting with the Switch 2 port to see if it is even possible in the first place.
Of course, there’s good reason todoubt anyGTA 6rumors, especially any associated with the Switch 2. However, Rockstar has been working onGrand Theft Auto 6for a considerable amount of time, and while delays are expected at this point, one has to imagine that such a significant delay is to give the developer time to deal with a bigger problem. Technical issues with the Switch 2 version would certainly fall within that category, although,as I suspect many believe, there’s a very good chance that a Switch 2GTA 6version doesn’t even exist.
GTA 6 Could End Up Skipping The Switch 2
It Could Be An Impossible Port
Many are doubtful that aGTA 6Switch 2 port is even likely. After all, Nintendo’s new hardware, while undeniably a huge step up from the Switch, is less powerful than a PS5 or Xbox Series X. That is a problem, especially when experts have claimed that even the PS5 Pro version ofGTA 6won’t hit 60 FPS, let alone the original PS5 model. Of course,with numerous downgrades and massive compromises, it is possible thatGTA 6could run on the Switch 2, but one has to wonder whether it would even be worth it at that point.
If it comes swinging out of the gate on Switch 2 running at less than 30 FPS with blurry PS2-level visuals and half of its immersive content cut, it would be absolutely disastrous, especially with rumors thatGTA 6may cost $100, and that’s expensive even by Nintendo’s new $80 standards.Rockstar has to have weighed up whether a port would be worth it at this point, and, as much as I’d like to believe that we’ll getGTA 6on the Switch 2, I’m doubtful it went ahead with it.
Of course, as aforementioned, there’s every possibility we’ll get it, even if it’s after a long wait. It is also possible that this delay was to do with a Switch 2 port ofGTA 6and Rockstar needing more time to get it ready so that it wows players. However, one has to temper their expectations, if only slightly, and I find myself questioning whether it’s even possible. Maybe Rockstar will skipGrand Theft Auto 6on the Switch 2, or maybe, just maybe, we’ll get a modern AAA Rockstar experience running on Nintendo’s plucky hardware.
