Anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6 has rival game studios rethinking their fall 2025 launch plans to avoid clashing with Rockstar’s blockbuster title, a report suggests.
The anticipation surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 is off the charts. The game has been a decade in the making, and the wait is almost over. Officially announced for a fall 2025 release, Rockstar Games’ highly anticipated installment in the GTA franchise is shaping up to be the biggest game of the decade.
With GTA 5 having sold over 205 million copies and generating billions in revenue, expectations for GTA 6 couldn’t be higher. The developer released the first trailer for GTA 6 in December 2023, which has received over 225 million views as of right now.
The new game is to bring players to a reimagined version of Miami, with two playable characters – Lucia and Jason. According to Take-Two, GTA 6 remains on track for a 2025 launch, but the game’s looming release date is already making game publishers rethink their 2025 release strategies.
Studios Are Playing It Safe
As the hype builds, rival game publishers are reportedly adjusting their plans to avoid competing with GTA 6’s colossal launch. According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, some studios are hesitant to commit to fall 2025 release dates, waiting to see if Rockstar’s game might slip into 2026.
The report (paywalled) states, “Anticipation is so high that some competing game publishers are waiting as long as possible to commit to their release dates for the fall, according to people familiar.”
“The publishers want to see whether GTA 6 will make its deadline or slip into 2026, these people say, and they’re determined to keep their own games far, far away.”
This strategic shuffle highlights the unprecedented pull of Rockstar’s flagship franchise. Many companies, aware of the sheer market share GTA 6 is likely to consume, are reconsidering their own launches to avoid being overshadowed.
The uncertainty surrounding exact release timings has put these publishers in a tough spot, further emphasizing GTA 6’s overwhelming influence. Despite the speculation, Take-Two insists the game is on schedule.
In other news, Mike York, a former Rockstar developer, believes the studio is having fun with the GTA 6 hype, suggesting that Rockstar is deliberately keeping fans in suspense.
“They could easily release the trailer date and be like, ‘Hey this is when the trailer’s coming out,’ but they don’t do it. And they don’t do it on purpose because it’s a really, really good marketing tactic. If you think about it, it creates these really cool theories.”
If GTA 6 hits its target, it will not only redefine open-world gaming but also reshape how publishers plan major releases around Rockstar’s calendar.
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