In the biggest good news/bad news scenario we're likely to get in gaming this year, Grand Theft Auto 6 has been pushed back to May 25, 2026. Here's the official statement from Rockstar Games.
We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game.
With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.
We look forward to sharing more information with you soon.
So what happens now?
Borderlands 4 takes on way more importance for Take-Two Interactive
The games aren't exactly alike, but they appeal to some of the same audience. Gearbox said its decision to move the fourth game in the popular series from a September 23 release to September 12 wasn't because of any other game. At the time, we thought Take-Two had given them some information on how to get out of GTA 6's way.
It's the opposite. With a GTA-sized hole on its release calendar, Take-Two is now all about Borderlands 4 as the biggest open-world game with an irreverent sense of humor it will release this year. In fairness, it doesn't look like a bad game.
A new Buddy System will allow players to drop in and out of games with up to four players online. The system will feature dynamic level scaling, as well as loot and difficulty adjusted for each player. Take-Two will make a whole bunch of money here, just not GTA money. Don't worry, they'll be fine. NBA 2K drops in this quarter as well.
Everybody else can stop tiptoeing around GTA's release date
Expect an onslaught of October and November release announcements now that the 800-lb. gorilla has moved into May 2026. EA Chairman and CEO Andrew Wilson has already gone on record saying the publisher was willing to shift the release of the new Battlefield game due to "industry variables."
Luke Dale, an actor in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, tweeted that his game now had a shot to win Game of The Year. Look, he just said what a lot of people in the industry were thinking. A game as big as GTA 6 doesn't leave a lot of space for other titles to earn accolades. But the delay leads to another problem.
Game sales as a whole will take a hit
In an interview with GamesRadar, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said the delay is seriously bad news for the gaming industry. He believes game sales could fall to their lowest level since before COVID-19.
He describes GTA 6's effect as similar to the 2024 return of EA's College Football series. That game brought back players who hadn't touched a console since College Football 14.
"GTA 6 getting pushed does not mean there will all of a sudden be a whole bunch of dollars available for other games in 2025," Piscatella said. "It just means that a bunch of the dollars that would have been spent on gaming this year have disappeared."
It's Nintendo's time now
The departure of GTA 6 means the Nintendo Switch 2 is the biggest thing happening in gaming in 2025. There have already been some missteps that Nintendo couldn't avoid due to tariff uncertainty. But now, as the Switch 2 goes, so do the game industry's hopes for 2025.
Games are moving to an $80 price point across the industry, There's never a good time to raise prices, especially as far as consumers are concerned. But now that price jump looks exceptionally ill-timed.