Sport publishers talk challenges of GTA 6 originate in contemporary document: “We do now not wish to be wherever cease to that”
A new report has underscored the “chaos” that Grand Theft Auto 6‘s absence of a release date is causing among game publishers, as they strive to formulate launch strategies for their titles that won’t lead them to clash with Rockstar’s highly anticipated sequel – with one executive reportedly stating, “We don’t want to be anywhere near that.”
After comments made by EA’s Andrew Wilson earlier this year indicating that the company would be willing to postpone the current Battlefield’s release to avoid GTA 6, journalist Christopher Dring engaged with a group of industry leaders to understand how Rockstar’s game was influencing their own decision-making behind closed doors – with the reactions he received echoing those previously stated by Wilson.
Discussing on the newly launched The Game Business podcast, Dring relayed a remark from the leader of “one of the largest game publishers globally,” who wished to remain anonymous. “Rockstar games always drain a lot of money and, more critically, time out of the market,” the executive told Dring. “We don’t want to be anywhere near that. We’re devising various alternative plans for our title.”
Another senior executive from a different publishing company echoed similar thoughts, informing Dring, “Even without GTA, it’s extremely challenging to find available time for new games to thrive. Time is the real scarcity for us, not financial resources. It’s tough out there.”
A third senior executive – the European head of an unnamed AAA publisher – raised additional concerns, specifically during the “fall” release window previously suggested for GTA 6’s launch by Take-Two Interactive. “We don’t want to release right before or right after the game,” the executive elaborated. “If it arrives in late October, that means you either have to launch early – which many seem to be doing with the recent surge of summer release dates, or push back, placing you in competition with the Black Friday sales.”
“If we move out of 2025,” the executive continued, “what if Rockstar does too? Will we have to bring our game forward or delay it further? It’s been highlighted as thoroughly stressful.”
Dring noted that these kinds of considerations are currently “causing a bit of chaos” throughout the gaming industry, and it’s not just a matter for publishers looking to introduce new releases; the arrival of GTA 6 is likely to impact the fortunes of live-service video games as well. One developer of a “top 10 live service games” told Dring, “GTA 6 is truly like a colossal meteor, and we aim to steer clear of the blast zone. We will adjust our updates forward or backward by three weeks to bypass it. The issue is, everyone will likely do the same. So three to four weeks before or after GTA 6, you’ll likely see a surge of live service games releasing content as they believe they are in the safe zone.”
“It’s undoubtedly going to get a bit chaotic,” Dring remarked. However, as he also pointed out, historical trends suggest publishers have justifiable reasons to worry. Reflecting back…