Rockstar Games has announced the release date of Grand Theft Auto 5 after many grueling months of teasing the game through the release of screenshots and a video that got every self-respecting gamer poring over every inch of its many frames.

Contrary to Mike Pachter's prediction yesterday that the game would be released in May, or perhaps just to spite the games analyst, Rockstar announced today that the game will be releasing not in Spring 2013, but on September 17, 2013. That's many months from now, and a long way away from the release window they previously provided to gamers and the press.

In Rockstar Games' blog about the release date announcement, Rockstar admits that the game 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," continues the post.

Clearly, Rockstar Games is not a company to be swayed by investors at 2K Games and prefers to develop a game to completion instead of releasing a half-baked title that would no doubt fail to live up to the series' predecessors and other Rockstar games, most, if not all of which were some of the best games ever made in recent years.

Rockstar concluded their post with a heartfelt apology to gamers intent on playing the game this Spring.

"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 your time, Rockstar. Take your time.