The anticipated video game Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed until May 26, 2026, Rockstar Games announced on Friday.

Fans had expected to drive cars, commit crimes and escape the police among the sun-drenched beaches and gleaming condominiums of Vice City, a fictionalized Miami, sometime this year.

“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,” Rockstar said in a statement. “We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”

Rockstar, which also creates the open-world western series Red Dead Redemption, did not respond to a request for comment. The previous game in the Grand Theft Auto franchise was released in 2013 and has generated more than $8 billion in revenue.

Matthew Ball, a video game analyst, said that Grand Theft Auto VI had been expected to drive the sales of PlayStation and Xbox consoles this holiday season. Few other video games had announced release dates this fall, wary of directly competing with what is expected to be a blockbuster title.

“For the rest of the market, GTA’s delay provides much needed — though only temporary — oxygen,” he said. “The title was expected to devour billions of dollars in consumer spend.”

Rockstar regularly delays the games it publishes. The detective story L.A. Noire (2011) and the bullet-time shooter Max Payne 3 (2012) were both pushed back several years.

There were short delays for Grand Theft Auto III (2001), which is set in a fictional New York and was pushed back three weeks because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks; Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002); and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004). Both Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) and Grand Theft Auto V (2013) were delayed by several months.

Perhaps Rockstar was being wry when it released the first Grand Theft Auto VI trailer in December 2023. The 90-second preview featured Tom Petty’s “Love Is a Long Road.”