Publishers are delaying the announcement of game release dates in 2025, so as not to run into GTA VI

Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, in a new material on the publication’s website, explained what effect Rockstar Games’ open-world crime thriller GTA VI will have on the game release calendar in 2025.

Image source: Rockstar Games

Let’s remember that in June Microsoft admitted that because of GTA VI it was in no hurry to assign release dates for Fable, Doom: The Dark Ages, Gears of War: E-Day and South of Midnight. According to Schreier, the American platform holder is not the only one.

Schreier’s informants aware of the situation in the industry report that a number of game publishers competing with Take-Two Interactive are waiting until the last minute before confirming plans for the release of their projects in the fall of 2025.

«According to these people, publishers want to see whether GTA VI will make it on time (officially scheduled for release next fall – approx.) or will be delayed until 2026, and intend to keep their games as far away as possible, says Schreier.

Schreier also reports that Rockstar management asked the GTA VI writers to be more careful in relation to various kinds of minorities

Development of GTA VI began ten years ago, but Rockstar only got serious about the project after the release of RDR 2 in 2018. The team has already missed several internal deadlines, but production is now progressing according to schedule.

Schreier believes that GTA VI will be the most successful game not only of 2025, but “almost certainly” of the decade. The journalist predicts “astronomical” sales and stable cash flow due to the large-scale online mode.

GTA VI has so far been announced only for PS5, Xbox Series X and S. Events will unfold in the fictional state of Leonidas, created in the image of Florida. Players will take on the role of criminals Jason and Lucia.