On 14 October, Bloomberg (GTA 6 Bloomberg Report) published the biggest behind-the-scenes look at GTA 6 we’ve ever had. Reporter Jason Schreier visited Rockstar North in Edinburgh and spoke to the people running the game. It explains why GTA 6 took eight years, why it was delayed twice, and what Rockstar says about the famous “$1.5 billion budget”.
I read the report and the coverage around it, and pulled out what actually matters for players. Everything here comes from Bloomberg’s reporting, and I’ve labelled it. (Reported) means Bloomberg reported it, and a name means a Rockstar developer said it.
Table of Contents
GTA 6 Bloomberg report at a glance
| What | Detail | Label |
|---|---|---|
| First research trip | Miami, 2015 | Reported |
| Original codename | Project Americas | Reported |
| Full development started | 2018, after Red Dead Redemption 2 | Reported |
| Story outline locked | End of 2019 | Reported |
| Rockstar staff | 2,441 in 2018, 4,711 now across 12 offices | Reported |
| Budget | Not disclosed; Rockstar pushed back on the $1.5 billion rumour | Reported |
| Release date | Still 19 November 2026 | Confirmed |
GTA 6 started as Project Americas
The game didn’t begin as just Vice City. Bloomberg says its codename was Project Americas, and the early idea covered large parts of North and South America. That plan was later scaled back to a more focused world: Vice City and the state of Leonida. (Reported)
The first research trip was to Miami in 2015, with Rob Nelson, now one of the game’s heads of development. (Reported) Rockstar was also finishing Red Dead Redemption 2 at the time, and most of the company was moved onto it, so full GTA 6 development only began in 2018. (Reported) Our GTA 6 map guide covers the world we ended up with.
Why GTA 6 took so long and was delayed
GTA 6 was first promised for 2025, then moved to May 2026, then to 19 November 2026. Bloomberg’s report gives the reasons Rockstar shared:
- A “dark period”. Rob Nelson described a stretch when the game’s overall vision still wasn’t clear, even after the story outline was set at the end of 2019. (Reported)
- Too many characters to write and animate. Nelson called the amount of NPC writing and animation the world needed “horrifying”. Rockstar realised it didn’t have the capacity and built a new studio in Los Angeles with writers, producers and directors. (Reported)
- The pandemic and fast hiring made things harder, along with design staff leaving. (Reported)
- An earlier release was possible, according to Phil Hooker, but it wouldn’t have matched the team’s vision. (Reported)
Schreier also says the game “does appear set to release on November 19, 2026”, while adding that you can never be 100% sure until it’s running on your machine. Our GTA 6 release date page has the countdown.
Jason and Lucia’s relationship needed new AI
This was my favourite detail. Rockstar wanted Jason and Lucia’s relationship to carry into the open world, not just the story missions. Bloomberg says that needed much more advanced AI, and leadership debated whether it was worth the effort before deciding it was. (Reported)
Phil Hooker, Rockstar’s director of technology, described a playtest where he bumped into another car and it set off a chain of fights, robberies and police chases that kept him away from his mission for about two hours. (Reported) As someone who loves free-roam, that’s exactly what I want to hear. More on the two leads in our Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos profiles.
What Rockstar said about the $1.5 billion budget
The rumour that GTA 6 cost more than $1.5 billion, roughly what Dubai’s Burj Khalifa cost to build, has been everywhere. Rockstar still won’t say what the game cost. But head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe pushed back on that figure in the Bloomberg interview. (Reported) Bloomberg still considers it almost certain that GTA 6 is the most expensive game ever made. (Reported)
So the honest answer is: nobody outside Rockstar knows the real budget, and Rockstar says the $1.5 billion number isn’t right.
Rockstar nearly doubled in size
| When Red Dead 2 launched (2018) | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Rockstar staff | 2,441 | 4,711 |
| Offices | — | 12 |
These are company-wide numbers, not only the GTA 6 team. (Reported) GameDaily’s summary of the report adds that Rockstar “has also expanded significantly in India”, though no figures were given. (Reported) Rockstar has a studio in India, Rockstar India, so Indian developers are part of the company that made this game.
Crunch, office rules and the 34 fired staff
- Overtime: Jennifer Kolbe said Rockstar didn’t want to finish another game through prolonged crunch, after the criticism of Red Dead 2’s hours. Rockstar grew the team, changed planning, and offered paid time off or extra pay for extra hours. Kolbe accepted that not everyone’s experience was the same. (Reported)
- Office five days a week: after the leaks, staff were required in the office five days a week from 2024, with no access to the game’s tools from home. Rockstar says it will review this after launch. (Reported)
- The 34 dismissals: Rockstar fired 34 employees in 2025. Most were involved in union efforts and see it as union-busting. Rockstar says they were fired for disclosing confidential information. The case is still before an employment tribunal in Scotland. (Reported)
Leaks are a big reason for the office rules. I explain how they’ve shaped this launch in GTA 6 leaks explained.
“The game is never completely settled”
In a follow-up video, Schreier shared more from Phil Hooker, reported by GamesRadar: “The game is never completely settled” and “Even within the last few months, we’ve changed things.” (Reported) So yes, Rockstar is still polishing GTA 6 a month before launch.
Will Rockstar’s next game take 8 years too?
Rockstar says no. According to RockstarINTEL‘s summary of the report, Phil Hooker said: “The engine, the tools and the team we’ve built during this project will allow us to do things more quickly.” Art director Aaron Garbut added: “We foundationally changed a lot of stuff on this project. But now it’s done, and we’re not going to rip it apart.” (Reported)
Rockstar didn’t name its next game or give a date. (Not confirmed)
GTA 6 development timeline
| Year | What happened | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | First research trip to Miami | Reported |
| 2018 | Red Dead 2 launches; full GTA 6 development begins | Reported |
| End of 2019 | Jason and Lucia’s story outline set | Reported |
| December 2023 | Trailer 1 promises a 2025 release | Confirmed |
| 2024 | Staff required in the office five days a week | Reported |
| 2025 | Delayed to May 2026, then to 19 November 2026 | Confirmed |
| 14 October 2026 | Bloomberg publishes its report | Confirmed |
| 15 October 2026 | Launch Trailer released | Confirmed |
| 19 November 2026 | GTA 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S | Confirmed |
My take
I’ve waited for this game since 2013, so reading that Rockstar’s own developers called part of it a “dark period” honestly made the wait make sense. The detail that stuck with me is the AI for Jason and Lucia’s relationship in the open world. That’s the RDR2 kind of depth I’ve been hoping for. And Hooker losing two hours to chaos after one car crash? That’s the free-roam GTA I love.
The part I liked less is the crunch and the 34 firings. Great games shouldn’t cost people that much, and I’m glad Bloomberg reported it properly instead of hiding it in a footnote.
GTA 6 Bloomberg report: FAQ
What did Bloomberg’s GTA 6 report reveal?
That GTA 6 began as Project Americas, full development started in 2018, Rockstar grew to 4,711 staff, a new LA studio was built for characters, and Rockstar pushed back on the $1.5 billion budget rumour. (Reported)
How long did GTA 6 take to make?
Research started in 2015 and full development in 2018, so roughly eight years by launch. (Reported)
How much did GTA 6 cost to make?
Rockstar hasn’t said. It pushed back on the $1.5 billion rumour, but gave no real figure. (Reported)
What was Project Americas?
GTA 6’s early codename. The first idea covered large parts of North and South America before it was scaled back to Vice City and Leonida. (Reported)
Is GTA 6 delayed again?
No. It still launches on 19 November 2026. (Confirmed)
Did Indian developers work on GTA 6?
Rockstar has a studio in India, and coverage of the report says Rockstar has expanded significantly there. How much of GTA 6 was made in India hasn’t been detailed. (Reported)
Sources: Bloomberg · GamesRadar · RockstarINTEL · GameDaily · VGTimes
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