Fans fear for Grand Theft Auto 6 release date after San Andreas VR project 'canceled'

Grand Theft Auto enthusiasts are in shock following the revelation that a major GTA project has been effectively scrapped.

Rewind to 2021, when Meta announced that Grand Theft Auto San Andreas was being developed for its VR headset range. The absence of any updates since then sparked rumors that the development process might not be going as smoothly as Rockstar Games and Meta had hoped. As expected, Meta has now disclosed that GTA San Andreas VR is "on hold indefinitely", which, barring any significant changes, implies the game won't see the light of day.

The news was confirmed in a statement to IGN: "GTA: San Andreas is on hold indefinitely while we both focus on other projects. We look forward to working with our friends at Rockstar in the future."

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While it's disappointing that GTA San Andreas VR appears to be off the table, this could have a silver lining for the release date of GTA 6. With no other projects to distract them, Rockstar Games can devote all their energy to the smooth development of Grand Theft Auto 6.

GTA 6 is slated for a fall 2025 release, a timeline that parent company Take-Two is confident about. Grand Theft Auto 6 is set in the state of Leonida, modeled after Florida.

Rockstar said: "Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet."

The latest teaser offers a bird's-eye view of some map hotspots, featuring areas inspired by the Florida Keys, alongside the beachfront and more. GTA enthusiasts have been on the edge of their seats, hoping for an up-close tour of these spots and a sneak peek at gameplay in the anticipated next GTA 6 trailer, speculated to land on October 4.

Xbox players have a mixed emotions of the release. Call of Duty Black Ops 6 are to arrive on Game Pass immediately upon release and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick indicated that Take-Two won't jump on the day-one release bandwagon for subscription services .