So far, everything is set for a release of GTA 6 in autumn 2025. If that is not the case, it could lead some companies in the gaming industry to go under, says an analyst.
Who is the analyst? The analyst speaking now is Ben Porter. He is employed as Director of Consulting at Newzoo, an analytics company focused on the gaming industry. In an interview with PC Gamer during GDC 2025, he commented on the influence of GTA 6 on the industry:
If you, as a company, are currently eagerly waiting for the release of GTA 6 and it gets delayed by three, four, five, six months, what do you do then? Either you have to be able to throw yourself into the big black hole that is now open, or you need to extend your development time by another six months – I am sure some companies will go under because of that, right?
According to Porter’s theory, companies that want to avoid the launch of GTA 6 could face financial problems if it gets postponed. Another analyst recently got into trouble with one of the developers of Baldur’s Gate 3:
The wait for GTA 6 also costs
What is the validity of the statement? In fact, many game developers seem to be currently refraining from announcing specific releases, as they want to avoid GTA 6. This is noted by gaming journalist Jason Schreier at Bloomberg (Paywall). According to his sources, companies want to ensure that GTA 6 really appears in 2025 and does not get pushed to 2026.
Publishers seem to fear that a release too close to the launch of GTA 6 could have a negative impact on their own sales figures.
Ben Porter, in turn, implies with his statement that some companies cannot afford the waiting, hesitating, and pushing:
An unreleased game without a release date – whether full release or early access – usually does not bring in any revenue for the developer: Without a clear release date, pre-orders are banned in Germany too (via Heise).
This can mean that a developer might be stuck with the costs of a possibly finished game indefinitely. Not all game developers can afford this in the long run.
What is the status of the release date? At the moment, there are rumors, but no official announcement of a release delay for GTA 6. Accordingly, it is still to be expected that the game will be released in autumn 2025. Even if there are always rumors about a postponement.
The release of GTA 6 is likely to impact Rockstar’s or Take-Two’s own games. This includes, among others, GTA Online. More about how it will continue was also recently given: CEO of Take-Two answers the question of what happens to GTA Online when GTA 6 launches
