GTA6 Delayed to May 26, 2026: Impact on Players and Cryptocurrency
Recently, “GTA6” announced its delay to May 26, 2026, causing an uproar among players. This has also led to a surge in cryptocurrency concept coins and prompted web3 game companies to announce their listings on the New York Stock Exchange. This article consolidates all the news regarding the launch of cryptocurrency related to “GTA6” to date.
(Background Information: “Grand Theft Auto 6” rumored to launch in 2024, might introduce a cryptocurrency system)
Announcement of Delay
The world’s best-selling game series “Grand Theft Auto” has recently announced that its latest installment, “GTA6,” will be delayed until May 26, 2026, sparking global player outrage. In light of player disappointment, game developer RockStars also released the second game trailer yesterday, which more clearly showcases the game’s introductory tutorial levels. The video attracted nearly 110 million views within just a week of its release, demonstrating that interest remains high even after 12 years without a new installment. Furthermore, the announcement has driven the cryptocurrency sector, leading to a significant rise in “gaming concept coins,” while also stimulating web3 game companies to go public in the U.S. Various rumors about “GTA6” launching cryptocurrency have surfaced, and this article will organize the information and analyze the possibilities.
Content of the GTA6 Trailer
The trailer released earlier this month fully showcased the game’s core gameplay and storyline. According to numerous influencers’ analyses, most of the second trailer consists of actual PS5 gameplay footage and presents the prologue tutorial levels of “GTA6.” For instance, the video begins with the protagonist driving and moving into a new house, and soon encounters a loan-sharking landlord. To pay rent and repay debts, the protagonist will undertake a series of tasks throughout the city to collect debts and rent. During this process, various tutorials will be introduced, such as hairstyle selection, driving, firearms, fitness systems, and asset acquisition.
Once certain tasks are completed, the storyline will trigger a segment involving the female protagonist, where the protagonist visits a prison to bail her out. This will subsequently activate some emotional and conflict-driven events, leading the protagonist and the female lead to vow to achieve great things together. The game also features a storyline centered around female characters and couples, including numerous missions and narratives about female sisterhood, gatherings to critique men, and sexy beauty contests, showcasing a new breakthrough in gender issues for GTA6.
Stimulating the Cryptocurrency Market
The announcement of GTA6’s release date has unexpectedly triggered a rise in Web3-related tokens, such as metaverse-related tokens like SAND and MANA, which saw notable gains of 20-30% within the week following the GTA trailer’s release. It is evident that the announcement of GTA6’s launch date has brought significant attention and market activity to the gaming industry.
Will RockStar Issue a Cryptocurrency?
Players are also focused on whether the game company RockStar will issue a cryptocurrency. Currently, there has been no official clarification. However, many recent clues indicate this possibility. The following is a summary of the context along with expert opinions:
The official stance on Web3 has not dismissed “cryptocurrency news.” Two years ago, rumors circulated that “GTA6” would integrate blockchain technology to implement a cryptocurrency-based reward system and could utilize Bitcoin as a payment and reward token for the game. However, to date, these rumors have not been confirmed by Rockstar or its parent company Take-Two.
On the other hand, Take-Two has been actively embracing Web3. Last year, the company spent $12.7 billion acquiring Zynga, a social game developer that supports NFT blockchain games, and launched the Ethereum-based Web3 game “Sugartown” in August this year. Additionally, there have been numerous scams using the “GTA6” name to issue tokens or game content during 2023 and 2024, but Rockstar has never denied its plans regarding cryptocurrency.
The only mention was at the end of 2022 when Rockstar officially issued a ban on fan-created “GTA5” role-playing servers (RP), establishing new rules prohibiting these third-party online servers from using NFTs, and developers were not allowed to integrate cryptocurrency or NFTs. However, this was merely a “moral persuasion” to modify user terms, and there have been no reports of Rockstar cracking down on cryptocurrency private servers.
Insider Insights on GTA5
In relation to the myriad of third-party role-playing servers (RP) on the PC version of “GTA5,” we contacted an industry insider “RJ,” who has been involved in maintenance-related tasks for “GTA5” online for many years. RJ indicated that Rockstar has long been displeased with third-party role-playing servers (RP) due to their severe impact on the active user numbers and sales of items like “Shark Cards” in “GTA5” online.
However, after discussions with external consultants in recent years, Rockstar plans to implement a unified platform server open to third parties in “GTA6” and may introduce a universal currency compatible across all RP servers:
“What I’m about to say is no secret; many industry insiders and streaming platform officials know this. Rockstar wants ‘GTA6’ to accomplish what ‘GTA5’ did not. The single-player content is not the focus; the emphasis is on how to unify RP servers and provide all third-party servers with a common currency. This is the main framework of ‘GTA6’ online. Currently, the details have not been finalized, and the online version will not launch with the first wave of the release date.”
However, the idea of a unified currency for the servers inevitably leads one to think of cryptocurrency.
Animoca Mentions GTA6 Cryptocurrency Payments
Lastly, recent indirect confirmation of cryptocurrency in “GTA6” comes from Animoca Brands, a giant in the web3 gaming sector. Recently, founder Yat Siu revealed in an interview with the Financial Times regarding the “listing on the New York Stock Exchange” that there are plans related to “GTA6” and cryptocurrency. Given the scale of Animoca Brands and the founder’s statements, it is hard to believe he is merely speculating:
“Based on Animoca Brands’ expectations, the gaming industry will benefit from the launch of new gaming consoles and major releases like ‘Grand Theft Auto 6,’ which may integrate cryptocurrency-based payment methods, potentially enhancing Animoca Brands’ revenue from its investment portfolio.”
If “GTA6” ultimately confirms the incorporation of cryptocurrency payments and tokens, how the tokens will be issued and how players will interact with them remains uncertain. However, it is clear that the gaming industry anticipates the traffic and attention brought by “GTA6,” and the release date will undoubtedly be a moment of keen interest for Web3 companies.
