One of the industry's most anticipated video games of 2012 is Rockstar's return to the controversial and beloved Grand Theft Auto series with GTA V. The long-awaited game was officially announced in October, a rather odd time to tease games for the following year, considering the amount of high profile releases occupying the industry and players' time in October and November.

But with the Grand Theft Auto V trailer and ensuing rumors making headlines around the world, the game earned everyone's attention and now we wonder when we'll get to play it.

New Musical Express (NME) published a feature on "20 reasons to be excited for 2012" which covered a wide range of media entertainment, from music and events to movies and video games, and among them was Grand Theft Auto V, a franchise that invaded pop culture years ago.

It's hard to argue the return of GTA topping "most anticipated" lists of entertainment for this year, but in this case, the magazine went out of its way to specifically mention when the title was coming out.

"Expect half the country to retreat indoors and draw the curtains in May when Grand Theft Auto 5 hits the shops."

Rockstar hasn't released an official release date and while speculation from the online community has pointed towards a potential release in the summer or fall, we and others online theorized that the game could release on May 24th due to some hints dropped in the Grand Theft Auto 5 trailer.

Is NME basing their May release date statement on that same info, or as one of the UK's most-read online magazines and as the world's longest running music weekly, do they have friends in the know? It is UK-based Rockstar North that's developing the game after all...

With Rockstar's history of gaming announcements and release dates, specifically with the Grand Theft Auto series, it's very possible that the game could release as soon as May, but there's been no official comment on this either way.

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Source: NME