GTA 6's New Release Date May Be Grounded in Two Historical…

Grand Theft Auto 6 is easily one of the most anticipated games ever made, so when Rockstar announced earlier this week that the title was being delayed into 2026, a lot of people were disappointed. After more than a decade of leaks and rumors related to the game, GTA 6 was officially revealed in December 2023. The game was initially scheduled to launch in fall 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, and like most of Rockstar's previous releases, it wasn't confirmed for Windows PCs. Now, however, GTA 6 is going to come out on May 26, 2026, more than six months after its initial release window.

Announcing a release date for a video game more than a year ahead of time is a bit unusual, even for a studio like Rockstar. Although it's a common practice in the film industry, gaming companies normally don't provide specific release dates for their games this far in advance. However, there may be some historical reasons as to why Rockstar chose a May 26 release date for GTA 6.

Grand Theft Auto 6's New Trailer Emphasizes Its Most Interesting Feature Above All Else

Grand Theft Auto 6's New Trailer Emphasizes Its Most Interesting Trait Above All Else

Rockstar has finally revealed a new Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, and the spotlight is all on dual protagonists Jason and Lucia.

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By LB Beistad

Grand Theft Auto 6's Release Date Has More Historical Significance than Some Might Expect

Tommy Vercetti's Voice Actor, Ray Liotta, Passed Away on May 26

The 26th of May is notable due to the fact that it is the same day that Ray Liotta died. Liotta, for those who don't know, was a famous American actor who played lead roles in many acclaimed films, like Goodfellas, Field of Dreams, and The Rat Pack. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2022, at the age of 67, due to heart failure and other underlying health issues. Those who are unfamiliar with the GTA series may be wondering what Ray Liotta has to do with Grand Theft Auto 6. Although Liotta may not have any direct involvement in the game, he did lend his voice to the main character of 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

GTA: Vice City doesn't technically take place in the same universe as GTA 6, but the two games feature many of the same Florida-inspired locations. Vice City's protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, is an Italian-American mobster who aims to build up a crime empire after serving 15 years in prison for murder. As the first-ever voiced protagonist in the GTA series, playing Tommy Vercetti was not an easy task, but Ray Liotta’s performance exceeded all expectations and did justice to the role. His voice acting in GTA: Vice City received widespread acclaim from fans, and it was frequently compared to Al Pacino's portrayal of Tony Montana in Scarface.

The American Outlaw Bonnie Parker Was Buried on May 26, As Well

Since Liotta passed away on May 26, perhaps GTA 6's release date is a homage to both him and his character. That being said, it's important to note that this date is significant in history for one other reason: it's the day that Bonnie Elizabeth Parker's funeral was held. Bonnie Parker, as some may already know, was an American outlaw who fell in love with the fellow robber Clyde Chestnut Barrow. These two criminals, who would later be known as Bonnie and Clyde, committed a series of murders, kidnappings, and bank robberies during the Great Depression. Bonnie and Clyde were both killed by police officers on May 23, 1934, and Bonnie Parker was buried on the 26th of that month.

Bonnie and Clyde have never directly appeared in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, but if the two outlaws served as inspiration for GTA 6's dual protagonists, Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval, Parker's funeral may lend added meaning to the game's release date. Like Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, Lucia and Jason are a pair of criminals who fall in love with each other and choose to commit robberies, heists, and murders together after a series of unfortunate events. If Rockstar's decision to release Grand Theft Auto 6 on the same day as Ray Liotta's death and Bonnie Parker's funeral was entirely intentional, then the company came up with a smart way of acknowledging these two individuals.

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