In what has to be the most unsurprising news of 2025, Grand Theft Auto 6 has 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 on GTA 6 for 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's definitive release date allows 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 why Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed. Rockstar has given a relatively broad answer which will satisfy most fans, but there'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 wanted Grand Theft Auto on the Switch for a long time. While GTA 5 never 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 would indicate that it's more than willing to bring over its extensive library, with many anticipating that we'll get a Red Dead Redemption 2 or even a GTA 5 port sooner rather than later. That would be great, especially considering Switch fans can currently only play the first Red Dead game.

Rockstar has ported L.A. Noire, Red Dead Redemption, and the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy to the Nintendo Switch. Outside the GTA Trilogy port, 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 as GTA: Chinatown Wars, which was released on the Nintendo DS, the first two GTA games getting Game Boy Color versions, and Bully launching for the Wii.

Considering the huge number of original Switch sales - which made it one of the best-selling consoles of all time - it wouldn't be all that surprising to see Rockstar attempt to put Grand Theft Auto 6 on the Switch 2 in anticipation of it also selling incredibly well. We're also getting Cyberpunk 2077 on the Switch 2, a game many presumed would never grace a Nintendo platform for at least a few more generations. While GTA 6 will 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 a GTA 6 Switch 2 port would work, it obviously doesn't mean that Rockstar is working on one. After all, it hasn't officially announced a Switch 2 version of Grand Theft Auto 6 and 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 the breaking 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 first GTA game to be delayed due to technical issues, as GTA IV was also delayed due to issues with the PS3 and Xbox 360. A somewhat logical explanation - especially if you buy into the idea that GTA 6 is coming to Nintendo's new console - is that Rockstar 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 to doubt any GTA 6 rumors, especially any associated with the Switch 2. However, Rockstar has been working on Grand Theft Auto 6 for 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 2 GTA 6 version doesn't even exist.

GTA 6 Could End Up Skipping The Switch 2

It Could Be An Impossible Port

Many are doubtful that a GTA 6 Switch 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 of GTA 6 won't hit 60 FPS, let alone the original PS5 model. Of course, with numerous downgrades and massive compromises, it is possible that GTA 6 could 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 that GTA 6 may 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 get GTA 6 on 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 of GTA 6 and 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 skip Grand Theft Auto 6 on the Switch 2, or maybe, just maybe, we'll get a modern AAA Rockstar experience running on Nintendo's plucky hardware.

Source: Rockstar