Rockstar says next project will not take eight years to develop

Rockstar developers Phil Hooker and Aaron Garbut told Bloomberg that the studio's next game will not take eight years to make. That timeframe marks the gap between Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018 and the November 19, 2026, release of GTA 6.

Hooker says the engine, tools, and team established during GTA 6 allow the studio to work more quickly. He claims this allows the team to go more sideways than upwards to create content. Garbut noted that the studio foundationally changed many elements during this project and does not intend to rip them apart for the next game.

Rock Paper Shotgun notes that similar claims regarding efficiency were made during the development of Red Dead Redemption 2. At that time, Rockstar shifted resources to finish that title, which pushed GTA 6 back several years.

The studio is currently facing employment tribunal proceedings involving 34 former staff members. Rockstar accuses these employees of risking confidential leaks, while the IWGB Union claims the firings were an attempt to bust the union.

Separately, GamesBeat reports that Rockstar plans to release GTA 6 on PC before the end of March 2027. This claim is based on four anonymous industry sources. Rockstar has not officially confirmed a PC version.