Rockstar has announced the on sale date for the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto V, revealing that it has slipped by up to six months along the way.

GTA V for Xbox 360 and PS3 will now be released globally on 17 September, approximately six months later than the rather loose "spring 2013" deadline it originally set itself.

"The September release date moves the launch back from its original projected release window of spring 2013 in order to allow additional development time," says Rockstar, in a release sent to Pocket-lint.

The company also released an open statement to fans of the franchise on its own website.

"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," it reads. "GTA V 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."

With no GTA V this spring, gamers may turn to another title beset by delay problems, Bioshock Infinite. Originally slated for an October 2012 release, it was shifted back to February 2013 to allow for extra development time. A further delay pushed it back to 26 March, which is its final confirmed release date.

What do you think of the delay? Would you rather wait to get a better game? Let us know in the comments below.