‘Grand Theft Auto V’ Pushed Back To September

Fans who were hoping to get their hands on a copy of Grand Theft Auto V this spring are about to have one seriously disappointing morning.

Rockstar announced today that the latest installment in its open world franchise will no longer launch this spring. According to Kotaku, the game is now slated to arrive on September 17.

The company said in a statement:

“Today, we have an official release date to share with you: Grand Theft Auto V will arrive in stores on September 17, 2013.

“We know this is about four months later than originally planned and we know that this short delay will come as a disappointment to many of you, but, trust us, it will be worth the extra time. GTAV is a massively ambitious and complex game and it simply needs a little more polish to be of the standard we and, more importantly, you require.

“To all Grand Theft Auto fans, please accept our apologies for the delay, and our promise that the entire team here is working very hard to make the game all it can be. We are doing all we can to help ensure it will meet if not exceed your expectations come September – we thank you for your support and patience.”

Joystiq reports that Grand Theft Auto V is expected to generate around $600 million in revenue for Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive. Given the release’s proximity to the holiday season, the companies could stand to make a bit more money off the sequel.

Just a few days ago, several promotional posters for GTA V surfaced online. Although the Gamespot in-store ads are reportedly legit, they have since been rendered obsolete. The date at the bottom of the poster reads, “Spring 2013.”

The entire press release can be viewed at the official Rockstar website.

Are you disappointed that Grand Theft Auto V has been delayed until September?