GTA 6 Delay Could Create Headaches for Game Studios Planning Around Its Release

Many game studios are in a tricky spot right now, carefully planning their releases around Grand Theft Auto 6. But what happens if Rockstar’s mega-hit gets pushed back? According to industry experts, it could spell serious trouble.

Ben Foster, a senior analyst at Newzoo, recently raised this concern at GDC 2025. He pointed out that numerous companies are holding back their game releases to avoid getting steamrolled by GTA 6, which everyone expects will dominate the gaming conversation whenever it drops.

“If you’re a game company who’s holding its breath waiting for GTA 6 to get out, and then it gets delayed by three, four, five, six months, what do you do?” Foster asked during his GDC talk, as reported by PC Gamer. “I’m certain some companies are going to tank as a result of that.”

The gaming landscape is already packed in 2025, with heavy hitters like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. But GTA 6 is in a league of its own, appealing to both die-hard gamers and casual players alike.

Take-Two keeps insisting GTA 6 is on track for this year, with October 2025 being the timeframe most industry insiders expect. However, without an official release date locked in, developers remain on edge.

This creates a real dilemma for game studios. Release too close to GTA 6, and your game might disappear into its shadow. Plan around a specific window that shifts due to a delay, and you could face extended costs that some studios simply can’t afford.

Publishers waiting for GTA 6’s confirmation might suddenly need to scramble and adjust their entire marketing and release schedules if Rockstar announces a delay.

Foster was also realistic about GTA 6’s impact on the wider industry. While he acknowledged it will “put eyes back on the games market from investors,” he doesn’t see it as a magic solution for everyone’s problems.

History gives us plenty of reason to worry about delays. Major titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield, and the most recent one Assassin’s Creed Shadows all faced significant postponements, making a GTA 6 delay entirely possible.

One curious detail that has industry watchers talking: Take-Two’s decision to launch Borderlands 4 on September 23, 2025. Why would they position two of their biggest franchises so close together unless they’re already planning for GTA 6 to slip into 2026?

For now, developers across the industry continue this high-stakes waiting game. As Foster colorfully put it, “Everybody that we’re talking to, they’re ships trying to move out of the way of this big iceberg that is GTA 6.”