GTA 5 release date now 17 September

RockStar Games has announced that Grand Theft Auto 5 will now be launching 17 September.

It had originally been targeted for the spring but no firm date had been mentioned.

Now RockStar has released a statement saying that although GTA 5 will be hitting stores four months later, it will definitely be worth the wait.

"Today we have an official release date to share with you: Grand Theft Auto V will arrive in stores on September 17, 2013," reads a letter to fans on the RockStar website.

"We know this is about four months later than originally planned and we know that this short delay will come as a dissapointment to many of you, but, trust us, it will be worth the extra time. GTA 5 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 the support and patience."

Check out the latest trailer for GTA 5 below. Or you can take a look at some screenshots here.