Major publishers ready to delay games to avoid clashing with GTA 6: Report

Grand Theft Auto 6 is reportedly scaring off game publishers to the point that they are ready to delay their games at any time. The reason is simple: GTA 6's release is going to be massive, and companies cannot risk losing sales in the current situation of the gaming industry. However, how long a delay these companies can make remains to be seen.

As per Christopher Dring of The Game Business, some of the biggest games releasing in Q4 2025 are not ready to share the release date for their games. This is because releases from Rockstar Games reportedly suck the market dry with their game releases as per senior execs from Major publishers who remained anonymous.

“Rockstar games always suck a lot of money and, more importantly, time out of the market. We don’t want to be anywhere near that. We are working up multiple different plans for our titles,” one exec sai,d while the other said, “Even without GTA. it’s immensely difficult to find free time for new games to shine. Time is the real scarcity for us, not money. It’s tough out there.”

GTA 6 is going to dominate sales numbers

It’s been claimed by everyone, from game industry analysts to regular people, that GTA 6 sales numbers are going to dominate charts. The report further stressed that GTA 5 accounted for 89% of sales during its release week and took 94% of the market revenue. That is a very big chunk, and while it was only for the week, gamers play the game they purchased, especially games like GTA, for a decent amount of duration.

Combined with the report of GTA 6 costing $100, it’ll be a while before people will look to make another purchase, as most will be busy getting their money’s worth. That isn’t to say other games can’t do well; in fact, the game will likely be released on consoles first, so PC sales will likely look normal at the time.

Also Read: Game industry analyst believes GTA 6 release may tank some companies

What if GTA 6 is delayed?

Another huge issue for publishers looking to delay their game is the possibility of GTA 6 being delayed. Everyone knows about how Rockstar hits their game with a delay, and many are also considering something similar, even after the release date is revealed. This can be a huge issue for those to go with the initial release date.

It’s kind of a gamble at this point as there’s nothing publishers can do except pray that GTA 6 releases on the day Rockstar says it does. The release date for the game itself is also a huge mystery and is yet to be revealed.