News

As Grand Theft Auto 6 looms, the gaming industry holds its breath

Samuel Tolbert

Samuel Tolbert

— 4 min read
Key art for Grand Theft Auto 6, showing the two leads Lucia and Jason on a pier.
Source: Rockstar Games

Any time I talk to anyone across video game development or publishing, no matter what we started off discussing, the same topic inevitably comes up:

"So, do you think Grand Theft Auto 6 is really launching later this year?"

Obviously, I understand the inexorable gravitation. Rockstar Games' upcoming open world crime title is easily the most-anticipated singular game in the history of the industry. It's widely expected to obliterate sales records, as well as singlehandedly secure parent company Take-Two Interactive's financial position for the year and well beyond. If it launches on time, that is.

After all, the next Grand Theft Auto game has already been publicly delayed twice, being pushed from a nebulous Fall 2025 window to May 2026, before then being delayed again to its current date of November 19, 2026.

This week, I want to take a closer look at the why of it all and how the impossible task of planning around this juggernaut is causing headaches across the gaming industry.

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The quiet planning before the storm

The Crimson Skull logo for Gears of War, with text reading "Gears of War: E-Day Emergence Begins 2026"
Gears of War: E-Day is one of many games the Xbox team is looking to launch later this year. Source: Xbox Game Studios

Almost no developer wants its game launching next to Grand Theft Auto 6, and trying to figure out if the third time is the charm is proving to be difficult. It would be bad to delay your game in order to avoid placing it right by the open-world behemoth...but it might be even worse if Grand Theft Auto 6 then gets delayed yet again, this time leaving your game with no more room to maneuver.

Right now, game developers and publishers are watching for any possible sign that Rockstar Games and Take-Two could again push Grand Theft Auto 6 back. Everyone will have an ear out for Take-Two's next earnings call in mid-May, as it's the latest many teams will be able to wait before having to finalize assets for Summer Game Fest and the various accompanying showcases.

Teams are also trying to gauge how to get games out in the months leading up to its arrival, with plans to try and build in last-minute wiggle room.

Over at Xbox, the publisher has a lineup that looks impressive, as sources tell me the team is looking to launch The Coalition's Gears of War: E-Day ahead of Fable from Playground Games, which will arrive later in the fall. Right now, that planning is contingent on Grand Theft Auto 6 launching in November. If it were to slip, the teams could have a bit more space to move and stomp out last-minute bugs, possibly even pushing Gears of War so that it launches after Fable, depending on what is needed.

PlayStation is also closely watching, and is devoting considerable resources to aid in the marketing for Grand Theft Auto 6. Recent price hikes have brought PlayStation 5 prices in line with Xbox Series X at $600 in the U.S, with the PlayStation 5 Pro hitting a mind-boggling $900, and remember, that high-end model doesn't include a disk drive. Even so, Sony's gaming team is betting big that Grand Theft Auto 6 can breathe new life into console sales.

We'll have to wait and see.

Assorted news

An image of a man wearing a gas mask, armor, and holding a rifle, with fire behind him and a ravaged city in front of him.
Key art for Metro 2039. Source: Deep Silver

Highlights from some different gaming news across the past week.

  • Deep Silver and 4A Games have announced Metro 2039, the latest entry in the survival-shooter series. Introducing a new voiced protagonist, it presents a dark story of the Novoreich rising to power over Moscow. It's aiming to launch this winter on Xbox, PS5, and PC, and as a huge fan of prior Metro games, I can't wait to check it out.
  • The long, long, long rumored Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag remake was supposed to be revealed recently but will now be shown off next week, according to Insider Gaming.
  • The 2026 BAFTA Games Awards aired, with AdHoc Studio's Dispatch taking home Animation and Audio achievement, while Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Best Game. Both titles were some of my favorite games from last year, and I was also happy to see Compulsion Games win the award for New Intellectual Property with South of Midnight.

Housekeeping

I'm currently playing Obsidian Mirror, the Aztec expansion for Age of Mythology: Retold. It's been a lot of fun so far, and I'll have a dedicated piece out next week.

I'm also continuing to play Marathon — if you haven't yet, check out my quasi-review of Bungie's extraction shooter here — and I am looking forward to some Cryo Archive runs this weekend.

Starfield's updates and next DLC are taking up the remainder of my time, and while I always liked the base game, the exploration elements that Bethesda Game Studios has expanded on are quite good.

Looking ahead, I'm prepping for Summer Game Fest, and I will be in L.A. to check out new games. If you'll also be there and you'd like to have me see your game (or just chat) feel free to get in touch!

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