San Francisco, California - The newest installment to the blockbuster Grand Theft Auto video game franchise has been delayed again, this time until November 2026, its creators announced Wednesday.

"We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve," Rockstar Games said in a post on X.

Release of the game had already been pushed from late 2025 to early 2026. Rockstar said it will now come out on November 19 of next year.

Shares of Rockstar-parent Take-Two Interactive sank more than 8% in after-hours trades.

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Word of the delay came the same day dozens of people protested outside Rockstar offices in Edinburgh, Scotland, accusing the multi-billion dollar studio of "blatant union busting" by firing 31 people.

Rockstar, whose upcoming sixth edition of the cash-cow series is among the hottest releases of 2026, has accused the employees of "distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies."

But the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain, which called the demonstration, rejected that claim, arguing that the sacked workers were all members of a private discussion channel linked to the union.

Rockstar did not immediately respond to an AFP inquiry.

GTA VI is on course to become one of the biggest entertainment product launches of all time.

As popular as it is notorious for its sexual and violent content, the franchise has allowed players to roleplay as criminals doing dirty deeds across sprawling cityscapes since its first entry in 1997.

The newest game was originally due to be released later this year, with a trailer having shown that it would be set in Miami-like Vice City and would feature a playable female protagonist for the first time.