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Rockstar Games

Rockstar Games is in the final marketing push for Grand Theft Auto VI, scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The studio faces an active union recognition bid and unfair dismissal litigation tied to layoffs in October 2025.

Synthesized from 21 Yomimono stories · updated 1d ago

Grand Theft Auto VI has a confirmed date: November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Pre-orders opened June 25, with the standard edition at $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition at $99.99, and Japanese pricing at 9,800 yen and 12,280 yen. Rockstar has since built out the release with new screenshots, a launch trailer, a 34-track soundtrack album due the same day, and merchandise sold through the Rockstar Store in Japan. The game's rating labels are settled in North America (ESRB M) and Europe (PEGI 18), while Japan's CERO rating was still under review. Radio stations and on-demand podcasts were detailed in October, and a 26-minute gameplay video, "An Extended Look," premiered on Netflix on August 28 before a general release.

The studio's production side has expanded. Rockstar set up a Los Angeles studio dedicated to NPC production for GTA 6 after determining its existing capacity could not keep pace with the writing and animation work at the scale the game needed. Development leads Rob Nelson, Phil Hooker, and Aaron Garbut have spoken about NPC behavior, the engine and tools built during GTA 6, and the studio's intention that the next project will not take eight years.

Labor relations remain contested. Employees formed the Rockstar Game Workers Union under the International Workers' Union after layoffs of 31 employees in 2025, which workers allege was union busting; Rockstar said the employees were involved in a leak of confidential information. Employees later applied for voluntary union recognition through the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, and the union has sued Rockstar for unfair dismissal. Rockstar has agreed to meet with the union.

Security and leaks run through the coverage. Rockstar released a statement on August 26 confirming that leaked gameplay footage was genuine and calling the disclosure an incredibly difficult event for the development team. In October, Dutch police arrested a 24-year-old man suspected of leading ShinyHunters, the group behind an April 2026 breach at Rockstar. Rockstar has said only low-importance corporate information leaked and that players were unaffected.

Key facts

Release date and platforms
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. ↗
Standard and Ultimate Edition prices
The standard edition costs $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition $99.99. ↗
Japanese pricing
The standard edition is priced at 9,800 yen and the Deluxe Edition at 12,280 yen, tax included. ↗
ESRB rating
The North American ESRB rating is M for ages 17 and up, with descriptors including Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, and In-Game Purchases. ↗
PEGI and CERO status
European regions covered by PEGI carry an 18 rating, while the Japanese CERO rating is still under review. ↗
Los Angeles NPC studio
Rockstar established a dedicated studio in Los Angeles to handle NPC production for Grand Theft Auto VI. ↗
Radio and podcasts
Rockstar revealed the first six in-game radio stations and confirmed that on-demand podcasts will appear in the series for the first time. ↗
Extended Look runtime
"Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look" is a 26-minute gameplay video captured on PS5. ↗
Union recognition application
Rockstar Games employees applied for voluntary union recognition through the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain. ↗
ShinyHunters arrest
Dutch police arrested a 24-year-old man suspected of leading ShinyHunters, the group behind an April 2026 breach at Rockstar Games. ↗

Timeline

Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Announced
repost of the Miami Heat's 'A Night in Vice City' announcement · 2026-10-05
Noted
collaborated with Netflix · 2026-08-28
Noted
Rockstar Games employees have applied for voluntary union recognition through the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain. · 2026-07-01
Noted
The union has sued Rockstar for unfair dismissal, alleging union busting. · 2026-07-01
Noted
Rockstar has agreed to meet with the union. · 2026-07-01

Connections

Produces
grand theft auto vi, grand theft auto vi the album

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/rockstar-games. CC BY 4.0.

Claim activity

When a claim about Rockstar Games was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.

  • Confirmed Rockstar Games produces Grand Theft Auto VI Jun 19 · source

All coverage

5d ago

Ex-Take-Two AI Head Warns Unauthorized AI Ports Need a Serious Answer

Luke Dicken, former AI head at Take-Two Interactive, told Kotaku that AI-driven decompiling and porting of games without the rights holder's permission is an issue developers and publishers must take seriously. He expects more invasive DRM and platform-level countermeasures, which he says will disadvantage consumers. Godot Engine's Emilio Coppola argued platforms such as Steam should share the burden of policing AI clones rather than leaving it to developers.

Oct 15

Rockstar Set Up Los Angeles Studio Dedicated to GTA 6 NPC Production

Rockstar Games established a dedicated studio in Los Angeles to handle NPC production for Grand Theft Auto VI, according to a Bloomberg report. While reviewing how many NPCs the game needed, the development team determined its existing production capacity could not keep pace with the writing and animation work required at that scale. Rockstar invested funds and quickly assembled a Los Angeles team of writers, producers, and directors assigned only to NPC production. The characters get separate work on body parts and clothing, and development lead Rob Nelson told IGN that NPCs have their own impulses and may attack the player. Co-development lead Phil Hooker said the engine, tools, and team built during GTA 6 will let the next project move faster, and he and fellow development lead Aaron Garbut said it will not take eight years until the next title. Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Oct 15

Rockstar Store Opens Grand Theft Auto VI Merchandise Sales in Japan

Rockstar Games has started selling the Grand Theft Auto VI Collection on its Rockstar Store in Japan, according to GAME Watch. The lineup covers several dozen items: T-shirts, caps, tote bags, Zippo lighters, money clips, keychains, stickers, and a soundtrack. Designs carry the Grand Theft Auto VI logo and the Vice City logo, in blue, pink, red, and white. Prices start at 9,800 yen. All items ship from overseas and carry separate shipping fees, and GAME Watch describes them as Rockstar Store exclusive. The same day, Rockstar released the game's launch trailer, roughly 1 minute 30 seconds long, which debuts "Flower in a Hurricane" by original score composers Justice feat. Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for release on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The soundtrack is due the same day as the game, on CD, vinyl, and digital.

Oct 9

Rockstar Details GTA 6 Radio Stations And First On-Demand Podcasts

Rockstar Games has revealed the first six in-game radio stations for Grand Theft Auto VI and confirmed that on-demand podcasts will appear in the series for the first time. The stations are Cocoteo FM (contemporary Latin music), Back Country Radio (country), AfroBank FM (African music), The Chamber 106.6 (classic metal), Flash FM (pop), and Dirty South Classics (classic rap and hip-hop). Flash FM returns as a Vice City station, hosted by Robyn and Alex. Players can listen to radio and podcasts through headphones or earphones connected to the in-game smartphone, letting protagonists Jason and Lucia hear them on foot as well as in vehicles. Previews of the six stations are live on the official website. Rockstar has separately confirmed Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, with 34 tracks including Cardi B's Don't Chart and Fuerza Regida's Suzuki. Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Oct 6

Rockstar Reportedly Scouted GTA 6 Locations With Police And Gang Members

Rockstar Games plans to release Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game is set in Leonida, a fictional state modeled on Florida, and centers on protagonists Jason and Lucia. In an interview published in Love Magazine, Rockstar North development head Aaron Garbut described the studio's location research in Florida. The trip started in Miami, moved through surrounding towns, and continued down the Florida Keys to Key West. Garbut said the team met local residents and sometimes traveled with local police officers or gang members, encountering what the interview describes as a dark side of the work. Garbut said all of Rockstar's game development begins with research trips of this kind. Audio director Lazlow Jones, who worked on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, previously said real gang members recorded voice roles for that game and pushed back on the script, telling the team that real gang members do not say the lines they were given.

Oct 5

Dutch Police Arrest Suspected ShinyHunters Leader Tied To Rockstar Games Breach

Dutch police said they arrested a 24-year-old man suspected of leading ShinyHunters, the hacking group behind a 2024 Ticketmaster data theft and an April 2026 breach at Rockstar Games, which is preparing Grand Theft Auto VI. Rockstar has said only low-importance corporate information leaked and that players were unaffected. The group also extorted Checkout.com, Canvas, and stole FBI employee data in late September 2026.

Oct 5

Miami Heat Rebrand As Vice City For One Night Before GTA VI Launch

The Miami Heat announced that their November 18 home game against the Milwaukee Bucks will be staged as 'A Night in Vice City,' with the team name replaced by Vice City. The game at Kaseya Center will use a court built for the occasion, and the Heat will wear redesigned uniforms that have not been revealed. Rockstar Games reposted the announcement. GTA VI launches November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Oct 3

Rockstar Games Releases New Grand Theft Auto VI Screenshots

Rockstar Games has released new screenshots for Grand Theft Auto VI, an open-world crime action game headed to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026. The new images show protagonists Jason and Lucia, including individual shots of each, and views that present the atmosphere of Vice City. Combined with earlier releases, the official screenshot page now holds 99 images, alongside videos, artwork, and wallpapers. Downloads cover the game logo and postcards of locations in the game. Across the same period, rating labels appeared for multiple regions. The North American ESRB rating is M for ages 17 and up, with descriptors including Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, and In-Game Purchases. European regions covered by PEGI carry an 18 rating. The Japanese CERO rating is still under review. The standard edition is priced at 9,800 yen and the Deluxe Edition at 12,280 yen, both tax included.

Sep 18

Rockstar Sets Grand Theft Auto VI Soundtrack Album For November 19

Rockstar Games will release "Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album" on November 19, the soundtrack to Grand Theft Auto VI. The album collects 34 new songs used in the game, six of them vocal tracks featuring Yung Lean, Travis Scott, CA7RIEL and Paco Amoroso, PinkPantheress, Fred again.. and Etienne de Crecy, Morgan Wallen, Rauw Alejandro, and Keith Richards. It ships through streaming services and, at some retailers, on vinyl and CD, listed at 1,800 yen on Amazon Music.

Aug 29

GTA6 30fps Target Backed by Digital Foundry as Unique Technical Achievement

Overseas media Flow Games reported that Grand Theft Auto VI runs with a 30fps target, based on info from Rockstar North's Rob Nelson. Digital Foundry analyzed the August 28 Extended Look footage, calling it stable and a unique technical achievement of this generation. The game releases November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Aug 28

GTA6 26-Minute Gameplay Reveal Shows Dog Petting, Character Switching

Rockstar Games released "Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look," a 26-minute gameplay video, on August 28. The footage, captured on PS5, first appeared on Netflix before a general release on the official website and YouTube at 10:00 AM Japan time. The video opens with protagonists Jason and Lucia retrieving "Booby's stuff" from a club, leading to a firefight with police special forces. It then showcases a range of activities, including petting a dog, drinking from a refrigerator, watching TV, muscle training, weightlifting, basketball, fishing, canoeing, and bank robberies. The trailer confirms a character-switching feature, allowing seamless transition between Jason and Lucia, and depicts a scene where Lucia parachutes from a building before switching to Jason. Combat footage includes one-handed shotgun reloading and a slow-motion effect on headshots. The game is set in the fictional state of Leonida, featuring Vice City, and is scheduled for release on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The video is a collaboration between Rockstar Games and Netflix.

Aug 27

Rockstar Games Breaks Silence on 'GTA6' Gameplay Footage Leak

Rockstar Games released a statement on August 26 via its official X account addressing the recent leak of gameplay footage from the upcoming open-world title Grand Theft Auto VI. The company described the unauthorized disclosure of the footage as an incredibly difficult event for the development team, noting that it was not how they intended for players to see the game. The statement also acknowledged that the leaked materials contained genuine gameplay, confirming the authenticity of the videos that had been circulating since mid-August.

Aug 17

GTA6 Launch Day Draws 31 Steam Games and Sumikko Gurashi Switch 2

Rockstar Games is set to release Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. While many titles moved away from the date, 31 games are scheduled on Steam for that day, including Lord of Undead and Phantom Vice Auto. Sumikko Gurashi: Welcome to the Relaxing Hot Spring also launches on Switch 2 the same day.

Aug 6

GTA VI Special Video to Premiere on Netflix August 28

Rockstar Games announced on August 6, 2026 that the special video "Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look" will premiere on Netflix at 4:00 AM Japan time on August 28, which corresponds to 3:00 PM ET on August 27. The video is described on Netflix's page as "a longer look at 'Grand Theft Auto VI,' the next evolution of the series." However, the length, structure, and whether it includes new gameplay footage have not been disclosed. For viewers in Japan, the Netflix page currently displays "This title is not available in your region," so it remains unclear if the video can be viewed from Japan. The announcement comes as Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The standard edition is priced at 9,800 yen (tax included), and the Ultimate Edition at 12,280 yen (tax included). The PS5 package version with a download code will ship from November 12, but the game can be played starting November 19.

Aug 6

GTA6 Extended Look Premieres on Netflix August 28

Rockstar Games announced on August 6 that the next footage for Grand Theft Auto VI, titled "Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look," will premiere on Netflix at 3:00 PM Eastern Time on August 27, which is 4:00 AM Japan Standard Time on August 28. The video will then be released on the official YouTube channel and the GTA6 official website at 9:00 PM Eastern Time the same day, or 10:00 AM JST on August 28. This is the first new footage since the second trailer released in May 2025, according to Automaton. The game is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The announcement has drawn criticism from some fans who object to the early Netflix premiere, with complaints posted on social media about the paywall and the cost of a Netflix membership. The "trailer of the trailer" video announcing the premiere has been viewed about 2.6 million times in 14 hours, according to Game Spark.

Jul 1

Rockstar Games Employees Apply for Union Recognition Amid Layoff Lawsuit

Rockstar Games employees have applied for voluntary union recognition through the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain. The move follows a mass layoff of over 30 workers in October 2025, all of whom were members of the IWGB's Discord server. The union has sued Rockstar for unfair dismissal, alleging union busting. Rockstar has agreed to meet with the union.

Jun 25

GTA6 Ultimate Edition Includes Vice City Revolver and Other References

Rockstar Games opened pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25, ahead of its November 19 release on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Ultimate Edition, priced at 12,280 yen in Japan, includes a weapon called the Hawk and Little Morgan Revolver, described as a classic Vice City style item obtained from the Vercetti Mansion. The name references Tommy Vercetti, the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and the design resembles the scoped revolver Equalizer from that game. Other nods to Vice City include tropical weapon skins inspired by Tommy Vercetti's shirt and a Sea Sparrow helicopter appearing in the package art. A number inscribed on the revolver matches the North American release dates of Vice City and Vice City Stories. The Ultimate Edition also adds exclusive tuning shops, barbershops, and tattoo shops on the map, which sparked debate among players about whether those facilities are limited to the premium edition. The standard edition costs 9,800 yen. Both editions include a one-month GTA+ trial and the Vintage Vice City Pack as a pre-order bonus. No PC version has been announced.

Jun 24

Grand Theft Auto VI Priced at $79.99 Standard, $99.99 Ultimate Edition

Rockstar Games has announced pricing for Grand Theft Auto VI, the next entry in the open-world crime series. The standard edition will cost $79.99, while the Ultimate Edition is set at $99.99. The prices were reported by journalist Jeff Keighley, who said the information came directly from Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive. Pre-orders for the game open on June 25 at midnight local time, and the title is scheduled for release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Japanese price has not been announced, but based on current exchange rates, the standard edition is expected to be around 13,000 yen and the Ultimate Edition around 16,000 yen. Alongside the pricing news, Sony Interactive Entertainment published a PlayStation.Blog post detailing PS5-specific features. The PS5 version will support DualSense haptic feedback and adaptive triggers from launch day, as well as Tempest 3D AudioTech and near-instant load times via the console's SSD. The physical edition of the game will include a digital download code rather than a disc.

Jun 18

Grand Theft Auto VI Pre-Orders Open June 25, Release Set for November 19

Rockstar Games has announced that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will begin on June 25 at digital stores and select retailers, alongside the release of official cover art. The open-world crime action game, set in a modern Vice City modeled after Miami, Florida, follows dual protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos. After multiple delays from an original late 2025 target, the release date is now confirmed for November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar also changed its social media account icons and banners to the game's pink theme color, a move that game media outlet Kotaku noted historically signals the studio has entered its marketing phase and is unlikely to delay further unless a catastrophic event occurs. The announcement comes 13 years after the previous mainline entry, Grand Theft Auto V, was released in 2013.

Jun 13

GTA6 May Feature RDR2 Actor Jim Santangeli in a Cameo

A Reddit user reported that Jim Santangeli, who played Pearson in Red Dead Redemption 2, said on TikTok LIVE he did some cool stuff in Grand Theft Auto VI. The claim is unconfirmed, but Rockstar Games is known for rehiring past actors, making the cameo plausible. GTA6 releases November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Jun 1

Rockstar Games Employees Form Labor Union After 2025 Layoffs

Employees of Rockstar Games, the developer of Grand Theft Auto VI, have formed the Rockstar Game Workers Union under the International Workers' Union. The union's formation follows a 2025 lawsuit over the layoffs of 31 employees, which workers allege was union-busting. Rockstar Games claims the employees were involved in a leak of confidential information.