GTA 6's Delay Gets a Hilarious Reality Check from a Familiar Face – Did Anyone Else Blink?
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
A six-month delay for *Grand Theft Auto 6* sparked a hilarious and relatable comment from *Stranger Things* star Gaten Matarazzo, who noted his entire show unfolded during the decade-plus wait for the highly anticipated game, highlighting the epic development cycles of both beloved franchises.
Right, so you know that feeling when you're waiting for a spell to finish charging, and you swear you've grown a beard in the meantime? That's kinda the vibe around *Grand Theft Auto 6*, isn't it?
This little nugget of news, originally brought to light by Anthony Taormina over at Game Rant, got me thinking. Apparently, *GTA 6* has nudged its release window back a bit, shifting from an optimistic May 2026 to a more autumnal November 2026. Fair enough, these things happen in the grand tapestry of game development. But then, a familiar face from Hawkins – none other than Gaten Matarazzo, our beloved Dustin from *Stranger Things* – decided to weigh in with a proper, cheeky reality check, and bloody hell, it hit home.
Matarazzo, promoting the imminent (finally!) final season of *Stranger Things*, basically quipped that his entire TV series has come and gone in the time it’s taken for Rockstar to move from *GTA 5* to *GTA 6*. And you know what? He’s not wrong, is he? It’s been over a decade since *GTA 5* first dropped its mic and blew everyone's minds back in 2013. A whole decade! Many of us were probably still grinding levels in our pyjamas, dreaming of a future where we’d see the next iteration of Vice City, and now, well, we've had careers, kids, maybe even started a small cult following for our favourite indie game. We've literally grown up alongside Gaten and the *Stranger Things* crew while waiting for our next fix of virtual mayhem.
Now, let's not pretend *Stranger Things* was zipping out seasons faster than a wizard casting an instant spell. Its own journey from Season 1 in 2016 to the upcoming Season 5 in 2025 has been a measured one, with those dreaded multi-year gaps becoming more common for 'prestige' streaming shows. Nine years for five seasons isn't exactly warp speed, but it’s still quicker than *GTA 5* to *GTA 6*. And the kicker? *GTA 5* was out three years before *Stranger Things* even premiered, and *GTA 6* will land a year after the show wraps up its supernatural shenanigans. Talk about a long-haul flight!
This isn't to knock Rockstar, mind you. They're like the grand old wizards of open-world games, known for their meticulous, almost arcane development cycles. And let's be fair, they haven't exactly been twiddling their thumbs in a dusty old tower. We got *Red Dead Redemption 2* in between – a masterpiece of the genre, if you ask me – and then there's the behemoth that is *GTA Online*. That persistent online playground has been an absolute goldmine, keeping the dev teams busy and the cash flowing, which probably means there's been no real *rush* to push *GTA 6* out the door. When you're printing money with a decade-old game, you can afford to take your sweet, sweet time with the sequel, can't you?
From a player's perspective, this kind of wait is a double-edged sword, innit? On one hand, the anticipation builds to almost mythical proportions. Every little snippet, every rumour, every cheeky actor's comment just fuels the fire. We're practically vibrating with excitement for what *GTA 6* could be. On the other hand, there's that gentle skepticism, that whisper in the back of your mind wondering if any game, no matter how grand, can truly live up to a decade-plus of hype. Will it be an accidental masterpiece that tears a hole in reality with its brilliance, or will it just be... really good?
Rockstar has earned a certain amount of trust, though. They've rarely delivered a dud, and their commitment to polish is legendary. So, a six-month delay, while a bit of a bummer, probably means they're just giving it that extra layer of magical sheen, ensuring it runs smoother than a freshly brewed potion. It's frustrating to wait, absolutely, but if it means a more complete, less buggy, truly generation-defining game, then maybe, just maybe, it's a necessary evil.
Ultimately, both *Stranger Things* Season 5 and *Grand Theft Auto 6* are shaping up to be monumental events in their respective realms. One promises a heartfelt, supernatural conclusion, and the other, a sprawling, chaotic new beginning for an iconic franchise. The wait has been long, perhaps longer than some of us ever imagined, but if the final products are as stellar as we all hope, then fair dinkum, it'll have been worth every single patiently (or impatiently) spent moment. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to see if I can fast-forward time with a poorly-worded incantation.
Tags: Grand Theft Auto 6, GTA VI, Rockstar Games, Stranger Things, Game Development
Original article: Game Rant