GTA 6 Delay Led to Celebrations at Sucker Punch, Ghost of Yotei Director Says

Ghost of Yotei developer Sucker Punch was relieved when Rockstar Games delayed Grand Theft Auto 6 to 2026, the game's creative director has revealed in a new interview. GTA 6 was initially slated for a fall 2025 launch, which could have left little breathing room for Sony's next triple-A PS5 exclusive. Ghost of Yotei, a follow-up to 2020's Ghost of Tsushima, will be released on October 2.

In a rapid-fire interview with MinnMax, Nate Fox, the creative director of Ghost of Yotei, said — humourously — that GTA 6's delay was a cause for celebration at Sucker Punch.

“We're all still hungover,” Fox joked in his response to a question about whether the team celebrated GTA 6 getting delayed to 2026. “Multi-month hangover. That was a great day!” Fox said.

GTA 6 Delay a Relief

Before delaying GTA 6, Rockstar Games hadn't pinned down the game's launch date, but it was slated to release in fall 2025. Rockstar parent Take-Two had committed to that release window several times. Many publishers and developers had reportedly been waiting for Rockstar to announce GTA 6's release date before confirming the launch dates for their own upcoming games.

Sucker Punch announced Ghost of Yotei's October 2 launch date in April, just days before Rockstar announced it was delaying GTA 6 to 2026. So, one can imagine the news must have come as a relief to Sony — after all, no game developer would want their title to release close to GTA 6, which is sure to soak up all media attention, internet discourse, and playing time when it launches.

GTA 6 is now set to launch on May 26, 2026, and it's probably a safe bet to say that no major title will release around the same time.

Ghost of Yotei follows a new protagonist, Atsu, who goes on a path of vengeance years after an infamous band of outlaws, the Yotei Six, murdered her family. The game, set in the lands surrounding Mount Yōtei in Ezo, Northern Japan, in the 1600s, draws inspiration from Samurai cinema.

As Atsu, players will hunt down their targets with the help of clues slowly revealed over the course of the game through exploration. Atsu will also take on bounties, meet and befriend allies, cook, craft, and take part in plenty of side activities. Ghost of Yotei will release on PS5 on October 2.