I had GTA 6 on my launch-day list, but I’m now seeing GTA 6 Online delayed to 2027 instead of arriving when I expected. I checked the date twice while clearing my cart and moved my old controller back into the drawer. Are others seeing the same delay, and are you still buying at launch?
That isn’t an official delay. Rockstar still hasn’t announced a release date for the new online mode, so the 2027 claim is speculation based on a Twitch executive’s comment, not a confirmed schedule. I’d buy at launch for the story campaign, but anyone mainly interested in multiplayer should wait until Rockstar explains what’s included.
Don’t let a rumor of unconfirmed multiplayer possibility dictate your purchase (but don’t preorder blindly either), I’m waiting for performance reviews and a feature breakdown (even if the campaign launches first)
That date isn’t an official Rockstar announcement, which changes the whole premise. I’d still buy at launch for the campaign since multiplayer was never the reason I wanted it.
No preorder from me.
I agree with @datanode7665 that the supposed multiplayer date is being treated as fact when Rockstar hasn’t committed to it. Still, I wouldn’t give the campaign an automatic launch-day purchase just because the rumor may be wrong. You should judge the box by what is actually playable when you pay, not by features expected months later.
A separated launch can even be beneficial for multiplayer, since it gives the necessary time for balancing. However, the people who will be able to buy the game earlier will have the least information about progression, monetization, character transfer, online component cost. Information that is much more important to me than getting into the story.
The day of release usually has the worst price-to-quality ratio and the lowest amount of information. And if the campaign is indeed worthwhile, it will still be there after the release. And if you want to play multiplayer, there is a good chance that there will be more information, a more balanced game, and maybe even a lower price.
Don’t buy the launch copy expecting your usual crew to be there. If multiplayer comes later, some friends will finish the campaign, move on, and never return when the online mode finally appears.
That matters more to me than the rumor itself. GTA Online is mainly a social game, and separating it from the big launch moment could scatter the group before everyone can play together.
So no launch purchase for me if the box is campaign-only. I’ll pick it up when the mode I actually want is playable, whether that ends up being next year or much sooner.
Treat the campaign and the online mode as separate products until otherwise stated by Rockstar.
I would still consider purchasing the product at launch if the story part gets positive reviews and the console has good specs, but I might go for a physical copy. After finishing the campaign, I would sell or exchange the copy while there is still demand for the product; subsequently, it would be easier to determine what to do with the online mode when its launch details are revealed. It would be wasted otherwise since the console would not see regular use after the campaign’s end.
I would be particularly cautious about the premium editions with extra online currency, vehicles, time or any other online-specific content. These editions’ value depends directly on the online mode’s success, which is unknown at the moment. If the online mode’s launch is delayed, its gameplay is significantly different between the editions, or it is sold separately, these products’ value would drop considerably. Therefore, I would be more inclined to purchase the standard copy of the game.
@just_raven has a fair point about groups drifting away, though that cuts both ways. If the crew returns later, you can buy back in when the servers are tested and everyone knows which edition they need. If they never return, you avoided keeping an expensive digital purchase around for a multiplayer experience that never happened for your group.
Cancel your preorder now if you set one, because the digital cancellation window usually shuts a day or two before release and you don’t want to be stuck if the online details stay vague.
On the resale plan @novanode220 floated, I’d be careful there. Rockstar tends to bolt the online mode onto the same base game later rather than ship it as a clean separate SKU, so flipping the disc after the campaign could mean rebuying the whole thing when the mode you actually want shows up. @just_raven is closer to how this really plays out for me. The social pull is the entire reason GTA Online works, and a launch with no crew is just a very long single player game you already knew you could wait on. I’m holding until there’s an actual date attached to something playable.
Don’t hang your whole decision on one exec’s offhand Twitch comment. That’s the shakiest possible input to plan a purchase around. What I’d push back on is the assumption running through half the thread that the campaign is just a placeholder until the online shows up. Rockstar single player has carried entire launches on its own before, dozens of hours without a single lobby involved. If that’s the part you actually want, buy it and stop refreshing rumor threads. If you only care about the online, then yeah, @just_raven is right that a scattered crew is the real killer, and no early copy fixes that. The mistake is treating those as the same buyer. Figure out which one you are first, and the 2027 question mostly answers itself.
A staggered release doesn’t automatically buy better balance, @zeromaker9171. More development time could help, but the gap itself tells us nothing about what’s being tested or changed. I wouldn’t put “more balanced multiplayer” in the benefits column before we know how progression works.
For me, the useful questions are about the economy: how mission payouts compare with equipment costs, whether playing with friends is practical when their progression differs, and whether paid shortcuts affect competitive play. Those are different checks from whether the servers stay connected. Even a technically smooth launch wouldn’t answer whether I’d enjoy the routine after the introductory missions.
So I’m waiting, but I’m not setting a purchase reminder for the rumored year either. An online release date would tell me when to start looking at actual gameplay, not when to pay. I’d consider the campaign separately if it caught my interest enough. Buying it early wouldn’t resolve any of the multiplayer questions that matter to me.