
With GTA 6's ominously vague 'Fall 2025' launch window still looming over this year like a developing storm, it seems as though some major publishers are considering delaying their games to avoid getting in Rockstar's path.
In a new report from Chris Dring over at The Game Business, three major publishers are apparently making contingency plans for whenever GTA 6 actually launches. It doesn't sound like panic stations for these publishers just yet — especially because the upcoming Rockstar title doesn't have a release date — but it does sound like some of these companies are a little anxious right now.
"We don’t want to be anywhere near that. We are working up multiple different plans for our titles", said 'one of the world’s biggest game publishers', who wasn't named in the report. "Rockstar games always suck a lot of money and, more importantly, time out of the market", they added.
Another senior exec from one of these unnamed publishers says that "even without GTA, it’s immensely difficult to find free time for new games to shine". They went on to mention that "time is the real scarcity for us, not money", adding that it's a "tough" industry right now as we push further into 2025.
While it doesn't sound like all of the publishers contacted would delay their games for months and months, it's clear that most "will just stay clear of the blast zone"; as one dev put it. Despite GTA 6 still not being dated yet, the game and its impending launch is clearly causing some major anxiety amongst developers and publishers in the gaming industry at the moment.
Thoughts on this, Xbox fans? Tell us what you think these publishers should do down below.
[source thegamebusiness.com]
Comments 19
"time is the real scarcity for us, not money"
Remember this if they ever add mtx.
I still think GTA6 might get delayed which would really put the cat among the pigeons and could leave us with a slightly barren autumn/winter. That said my backlog would welcome it! More games released every month than I can ever play.
GTA 6 is probably gonna be a dud. The formula that worked in 2013 isn't gonna work now.
@themightyant I'm in the same boat. I just don't see R* honouring the first release window.
I still haven’t finished gta 5 story 😂 honestly I'm bored of these types of games 🤷🏼♂️.
Echoing the sentiments of other, my backlog is massive too 🤣
But yeah, once this comes out I'm playing day 1 until I finish it. No other game feels quite like GTA, where you can just drive around doing nothing, listening to the radio, and still loving every second.
@Fishticon the formula that worked in 2013 is still selling today and making boat loads of money. GTA 5 is still selling better than most next gen games, it for sure is being played more than most games. Going to need more info as to why this will be a dud, as it will likely break all records in 24 hours of all media content ever. GTA is worth more than some countries. Sorry but your take on this one has little to stand on. COD comes out every year mostly the same and makes a billion dollars in a few days. GTA fans have been waiting on this for a decade. They will show out!
Still not played GTA 5. Got a sealed copy on PS3 still sat in my drawer of games. 😂
I'm in no rush for GTA 6, which is just as well as if I decide to pick it up as it'll be the PC version.
Any game developer should realistically schedule into that slot as GTA6 will slide later into the year or into 2026… trying to time it otherwise is just a Vegas level gamble… R* doesn’t have to announce the delay as the hype continues if they keep quiet
I'm starting to think Borderlands 4 will either release early with bunch bugs or be looking at early 2026.
I honestly wish they’d just get a release window out there because I’m sort of tired of hearing how many executives are scared of releasing near it.
I know some may disagree, but 2025’s release slate has a lot of releases, but also feels weirdly empty too, you know? It feels like the industry has gone dark while waiting for the release date bomb to drop. 2024 felt that way too. I’m just ready for publishers to feel confident about their release windows again.
To be honest Rockstar are being world class D**KS about this release date announcement dragging it out!
Not only us gamers but the other gaming companies just want to know!
Just announce the date already I'm not absolutely living for the game but I will play it day one regardless but the total silence is a bit odd and annoying!
@Fishticon You’re forgetting the audience that plays GTA. They ain’t gonna care about the formula. They are gonna care about all the pedestrians they can run over though, that’s for sure.
Will it be a dud for highfalutin game critics? Maybe. Dud for the masses? Highly unlikely. Dud commercially? Literally impossible.
@AccessibleDaydream MTX makes you spend more time in the game which then generates more money. Hence the saying time is money.
If your game can't hold up/compete against the type of game GTA is, must be a pretty weak game. Rockstar is gonna screw around, possibly delay the game, and these cowardly devs/publishers are gonna be sitting there with egg on their faces because they themselves delayed their own games. Pathetic. Not everyone is interested in playing GTA.
I remember when many games pushed their games from Cyberpunk's release date, only for it to also get at least one push, and then of course the mild disaster that game released as.
If GTA6 fails the whole damn gaming market would crash along with it. lol Everyone is banking on it being the 2nd coming of Christ, meaning anything less than record breaking money is effectively a failure. Ej. Square Enix thinking Tomb Raider 2013 was a failure for failing to meet targets even though it sold millions of copies & made profit, but on a truly MASSIVE scale.
I don't believe it will actually happen, but man it's scary when the whole industry (particularly the speculative market) effectively puts all its eggs on 1 basket.
I think that there are two issues. Developers will likely try to get there game out before fall 2025, or they will shift there game to early 2026, which means they will be after the supposed GTA 6 launch. GTA 5 did well since there was nothing like it at the time, and it was above the average game. Now there is so many games getting released the biggest threat might be smaller titles like Tunic or Balango. And what is GTA 6 going to actually look like, a game that has a excellent story that has a added on multi player or it will move towards a live service game like Destiny 2 or Fornite. I will bet that they will lean towards live service with you paying per season.
Man Rockstar is gonna just print so much freaking money when nobody launches the same time, I love it
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