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GTA 6 release date delay could mean rivals 'tank' - here's why

We've heard that GTA 6 could 'save' the games industry, but another analyst has warned rivals to be wary of the pitfalls of trying to predict Rockstar's next move

[GTA 6 trailer screenshot]

Rockstar could headline one of the best years in gaming(Image: Rockstar)

Grand Theft Auto 6 is, as far as we know, launching in 2025, although Rockstar has been more focused on GTA 5's Enhanced Edition for now.

Reports had suggested that GTA 6 being priced higher than a standard video game release could 'save' the games industry, but one analyst has now predicted it could have the opposite effect for some companies.

Speaking to PCGamer, Ben Porter, director of consulting at games industry intelligence firm Newzoo said that companies hedging their bets on a GTA 6 release may end up regretting it.

GTA 6 could 'tank' its rivals

[GTA 6 trailer screenshot]

GTA 6 is still coming this year (apparently)(Image: Rockstar)

"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?" Porter told PCGamer at last week's GDC.

"You either have to be able to launch into that big black hole that's been left open now, or you have to extend your run rate by an additional six monthsI'm certain some companies are going to tank as a result of that, right?"

Given the small margins for error when planning a game's release date, it sounds as though there's a concern that some publishers may leave it too late particularly if GTA 6 does end up slipping into 2026.

As for 'saving' the industry, Porter feels like it won't necessarily be "universally uplifting".

"You do hear a lot of people who are saying that GTA 6 is going to rejuvenate the market," he explains.

"And I think that there's an element of truth to that, but I don't know that it's necessarily going to be universally uplifting.

"It will certainly have an effect. It will put eyes back on the games market from investors and things like that. But everybody that we're talking to, they're ships trying to move out of the way of this big iceberg that is GTA 6."

"Everybody's trying to pull their game forward, push their game backtheir strategy is to get out of the way. So if that's what everybody's behavior is, then how do you believe that this is going to rejuvenate the games industry?"

Until Rockstar says more, it's a strange limbo for the industry to be in but we might hear more as early as next week.

For more on GTA 6, check out when AI predicts the game will launch, as well as the series' best celebrity cameos so far.

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