Rockstar's hugely anticipated Grand Theft Auto V now has an official release date, but it's a little further away than the previously announced Autumn 2013 (US Spring) target. The publisher today revealed that the game is due on September 17th 2013, pushing the game's launch back around fourth months.

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.

Take 2's share price has already taken a hit due to the news, which is down more than 7%.

PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are still the only platforms announced for GTA V, and it's difficult to speculate on what Rockstar's plans might be for the PC or next generation consoles.