Grand Theft Auto 5 September Release Date

Fans have been given plenty of news in regards to Grand Theft Auto 5 in the last few months, including information about the game's protagonists and an explosion-filled trailer. As of today, gamers can finally jot down an important date on their calendars: the finalized release date for Grand Theft Auto 5, which until now had been under much speculation.

The streets of Los Santos will be bustling on September 17th, 2013, when GTA 5 finally releases for both Xbox 360 and PS3. Though gamers playing on PC or Wii U still have to wait to see if the game will be released on their platforms, the date comes as good news for the rest of the console-based crowd.

Rockstar Games had originally pointed to a Spring 2013 release date, but the studio stated today that it wants to allocate more development time to the project. Projected release windows are often pushed back for Triple-A titles like Grand Theft Auto (see: BioShock Infinite), so the move into the third quarter of 2013 isn't a large surprise. With games like these, it's typically best that the studios have extra time to add polish and truly make a memorable title, rather than produce a rushed effort under the pressure of a fast approaching release date.

That said, it does appear that Rockstar was preparing for, and seemingly ready to, launch the title during its projected Spring release window, as the company had already prepared posters and displays intended for retail usage. While these posters weren't yet intended to be seen by public eye, a candid photograph from a retail employee leaked onto the net early this week, showing two posters in full. On these pre-order offer posters, a Spring 2013 release date is prominently displayed.

While fans are no doubt clamoring to get their hands on Grand Theft Auto sooner rather than later, Rockstar's own Sam Houser hinted that the next few months will be laden with tasty, tasty tidbits of information about the game.

"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."

We'll keep you posted as Rockstar releases more information about the game.

Grand Theft Auto 5 will be released on September 17, 2013, for PS3 and Xbox 360.

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