Updated October 15, 2026 · 5 min read
On October 14, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier published the most detailed look yet at how GTA 6 was made, with interviews from Rockstar’s own leadership. It explains why the game took more than eight years, how the team doubled in size and what Rockstar says about the cost. Below, we keep Rockstar’s on-record statements apart from Bloomberg’s reporting and estimates.
Quick summary
- Project Americas: the game’s codename, first planned to span parts of North and South America
- Team: from 2,441 people in 2018 to 4,711 in 2026, across 12 offices
- Cost: Rockstar gave no figure but denied the rumor of more than $1.5 billion
- Release: still November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
- Next game: Rockstar says it will not take eight years again
Project Americas: the GTA 6 that was meant to be bigger
Rockstar confirmed that GTA 6 began under the codename Project Americas. According to Bloomberg, the original plan covered large parts of North and South America before it was scaled back to Vice City and its surroundings, the state of Leonida we know today. The first research trip to Miami took place in 2015, led by Rockstar North co-head Rob Nelson.
Why it took so long
The plan was to build GTA 6 alongside Red Dead Redemption 2, but the report says RDR2 grew so large that it needed nearly the whole studio to finish, pushing GTA 6 back several years. By 2019 the game had its foundation and the Jason and Lucia duo in place.
Then came the pandemic, with remote work making the fine details harder, and the 2022 leak, which Aaron Garbut called “really weirdly invasive.” Bloomberg also reports that the NPC workload was so underestimated that Rockstar opened a new Los Angeles studio of writers, producers and directors focused on them. Rob Nelson described the projections as “horrifying.”
The two delays
Announced in December 2023 for 2025, the game moved to May 26, 2026 and then to November 19, 2026. Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar’s head of publishing, said she called Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick both times. His reaction, as she recalls it: “You’re kidding. Please tell me you’re kidding.” Director Phil Hooker said the team could have hit the earlier dates, but not with the game it wanted to make.
Rockstar doubled in size
| Period | Employees |
|---|---|
| 2018 (RDR2 launch) | 2,441 |
| 2026 | 4,711, about 4,020 in development and QA and 690 in publishing |
There are 12 offices in total. Since Dan Houser’s exit, development is led jointly by Rob Nelson, Aaron Garbut and Phil Hooker.
How much did GTA 6 cost?
Nobody outside Rockstar knows the exact number. Rockstar did not share a budget, but Kolbe rejected the rumor that the game cost more than $1.5 billion. Schreier writes that GTA 6 is “almost certainly” the most expensive game ever made, possibly more than double the roughly $500 million ceiling other publishers try to stay under. That is Bloomberg’s estimate, not an official figure.
What it means for players
Nothing changes on the calendar: launch is still November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no PC date yet. The report does not cover story, GTA Online or price. The good news is for later: Hooker said “the engine, the tools and the team” built for this project will let Rockstar move faster, so the next game should not take eight years.
Catch up on everything that changed from GTA 5 and how money works in GTA 6.
FAQ
Has GTA 6 been delayed again?
No. The report does not change the date: GTA 6 still launches November 19, 2026.
How much did GTA 6 cost to make?
Rockstar has not said. It denies the cost passed $1.5 billion, and Bloomberg estimates it is the most expensive game ever made.
What was Project Americas?
It was GTA 6’s codename. The first plan had the map covering parts of North and South America, but it was scaled back to Vice City and its surroundings.
Sources: Jason Schreier’s Bloomberg report (October 14, 2026, paywalled), as summarized by GamerFuzion (drawing on GamesIndustry.biz, Eurogamer, Polygon and DualShockers) and Windows Report.
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