GTA 5 Leaked Release Date Likely Fake

There's a new rumor floating about regarding Grand Theft Auto 5's release date, here's why we think it's fake.

For games as big as Grand Theft Auto 5, it's normal for people to speculate or to fabricate the game's release date. I'm not really sure why some people would, but it happens...and now, it's happened again.

Over on the International Digital Times, they've posted an apparent "leak" of Grand Theft Auto 5's release date with the culprit being Microsoft no less.

Firstly, Take-Two Interactive, who's the parent company of Rockstar Games, is also the parent company of 2K Games who has Irrational Games' BioShock Infinite dated on March 26. Unless the game (Infinite) is getting a delay we don't know about, there's no way Take-Two will cannibalize sales of Infinite by having it in the same month as Grand Theft Auto 5.

The next reason and what might be the most obvious one is March 24 is a Sunday. In the U.S., games are typically released on Tuesdays and seeing as GTA 5 is Take-Two's biggest game of the year, I doubt they'll release it on a Sunday of all days.

Again, the commenter might really have received an email from Microsoft, but if I had to hazard a guess, that was a placeholder date more than anything.

So long story short, don't believe any rumors or news that Grand Theft Auto 5 will be out on March 24. Who knows, though? Maybe Rockstar will throw fans a bone and reveal the real release date before the month's out.