GTA 6’s Development Delays Reflect Those of Red Dead Redemption 2

Will Grand Theft Auto 6 actually launch this year? Will Square Enix really spend another decade remaking Final Fantasy 6? And how likely is it that Roblox will face a hack, leading to leaks of random kids undergoing age verification? It’s time for the latest gaming news and culture roundup.

CES 2026 is happening this week in Las Vegas, showcasing a wild array of innovative, quirky, and downright strange gadgets from tech companies of all sizes. It’s a great moment to reminisce about simpler times, like when fans gathered at the CES 1995 booth to enjoy one of the best SNES games ever, Earthbound.

In a recent episode of a gaming podcast, insights from Jason Schreier shed light on the development of the open-world blockbuster. He drew parallels between the potential delay of GTA 6 and the history of Red Dead Redemption 2. “If you look at the history there, they announced it for fall 2017, then it slipped to spring 2018, and then it slipped again to fall 2018, and then it landed in October of that year,” he noted. “So I wouldn’t be super shocked if that is what happens again this time around.” If that’s the case, it might actually meet its current release target without further delays.

The question of whether GTA 6 will release this year is more significant for other game studios than for players themselves. As Schreier pointed out, the reveal, marketing, and launch strategies of various games are being planned around GTA 6’s scheduled release on November 19, 2026. Many developers are likely racing to launch their titles before it or are holding off until early 2027. Another delay could leave those studios scrambling to fill the November gap.

The newly established Kinetic Publishing label aims to provide “financial, legal, and marketing support and wider development guidance” to upcoming games. CEO and solo developer Daniel Knight expressed that this kind of assistance would have been invaluable during the release of Phasmophobia. “It’s such an exciting time for indie game development. I can say that in the past five years I’ve learned so much,” he stated. “The fact we’ve grown so much as a company means we’re now in a position to support studios that come under our wing and provide the help I would have appreciated at the start of my journey.”

In a recent blog post, the company stated, “Images and video used for Facial Age Estimation are deleted immediately after they’ve been securely processed.” The face scanning checks, which began in some countries last December, will now be implemented for all users.

Director Naoki Hamaguchi is ready for a break. “I have been involved in the Final Fantasy 7 remake project for about 10 years from start to finish – and I’m finally seeing the end of the tunnel – so in that respect, having invested all this time into producing this remake, should I be the one to take on remaking another series?” he shared in a recent interview. Hamaguchi previously mentioned that if he had “all the time and money in the world,” a remake of Final Fantasy 6 would be “very cool to take on.”

He also reflected on the changing landscape within the company, noting, “The younger folks who come in don’t say Final Fantasy VI is their favorite anymore. They say, ‘oh yeah, Final Fantasy XIII was my favorite.’ So I really do feel the passing of the ages.”