Rockstar Games has just announced that Grand Theft Auto V has been pushed back from its original “Spring 2013” release window, and will now launch worldwide for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on September 17, 2013.
Take-Two noted in the press release that the decision to push GTA V off its original release schedule was made in order to allow for additional development time. The publisher did not comment on exactly what the extra time would be used for, however, they did note that Grand Theft Auto V will have the “biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world [that] Rockstar Games has yet created”.
If GTA V truly is larger in scope than Rockstar Games’ prior open world titles (which includes some fairly decent sized games like Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption), it is certainly understandable if the development team needs a few extra months to get things wrapped up. At the very least, it must take several weeks of programming to get your in-game Rottweiler to successfully ride shotgun in a convertible without it jumping out and chasing down every stray cat that you happen to drive past.
RockStar Games’ founder Sam Houser commented on today’s announcement, saying “Grand Theft Auto V continues to push the series forward in new ways; Rockstar North are creating our deepest, most beautiful and most immersive world yet. We are very excited for people to learn more about the game in the coming months.”
With Grand Theft Auto V‘s release date firmly set (well… as firmly set as any given Take-Two launch date can be) for the back half of 2013, we should get some additional information and gameplay footage of the highly anticipated game around E3 this June. We will keep our eyes open for any further GTA V information and let you know as soon as it is announced.
Full press release:
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 31, 2013–
Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce that Grand Theft Auto V is expected to launch worldwide for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on September 17, 2013.
Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV. Amidst the turmoil, three very different criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a former street gangster, now looking for real opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is a lot less rosy than he hoped it would be; and Trevor, a violent maniac driven by the chance of a cheap high and the next big score. Running out of options, the crew risks everything in a series of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life.
“Grand Theft Auto V continues to push the series forward in new ways; Rockstar North are creating our deepest, most beautiful and most immersive world yet,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We are very excited for people to learn more about the game in the coming months.”
The September release date moves the launch back from its original projected release window of spring 2013 in order to allow additional development time. The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world Rockstar Games has yet created, Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game’s three lead characters, playing all sides of the game’s interwoven story.
All the classic hallmarks of the groundbreaking series return, including incredible attention to detail and Grand Theft Auto’s darkly humorous take on modern culture, alongside a brand new and ambitious approach to open world multiplayer.