GTA 6 Release Date Might Be Coming Into Focus

As a part of Sony’s latest State of Play, Gearbox introduced a launch date for Borderlands 4. The sport is approaching September 23, 2025, and lots of are questioning what this implies for GTA 6’s launch date on condition that Gearbox and Rockstar Video games share a father or mother firm. On this put up, we’re rounding up what we find out about GTA 6’s launch date and the way Borderlands 4 getting a launch date in late September may consider.

GTA 6 in Fall 2025

GTA 6 is formally set for launch in Fall 2025 on PS5 and Xbox Collection X|S, a window that father or mother firm Take-Two has dedicated to on a number of events, together with just lately in February 2025. Fall 2025 begins within the Northern hemisphere on September 22. With Borderlands 4 set for launch on September 23, it appears it might be Take-Two’s first launch of Fall 2025. So what does this imply for GTA 6’s launch date? We do not know, however there are clues.

Room to breathe

Again in November 2024, Take-Two president Strauss Zelnick stated he would not count on GTA 6 and Borderlands 4 to be launched shut to at least one one other. “I feel it is secure to say that we wouldn’t–and nobody would–stack up enormous releases unnecessarily,” he stated.

Borderlands is a big franchise for Take-Two’s 2K Video games division, promoting more than 91 million units throughout the franchise to this point. Borderlands 3 was 2K’s fastest-selling recreation ever and has reached greater than 22 million models throughout its lifetime. Borderlands 2, nonetheless, stays the franchise’s best-selling recreation ever with greater than 30 million copies bought.

Expectations are excessive for Borderlands 4, so it stands to motive that Take-Two would need the sport to have the most effective likelihood to succeed, and never releasing it within the neighborhood of GTA 6 might be one thing the corporate is trying to do.

However simply how a lot house does Take-Two need or want between Borderlands 4 and GTA 6? Nobody is aware of. A extremely anticipated online game like Borderlands 4 is more likely to be front-loaded by way of its gross sales curve, so to maximise gross sales out of the gate, Take-Two most likely desires to present it a great quantity of house between it and GTA 6. Zelnick has stated the corporate goals to be intentional with its launch schedules to maximise gross sales.

Zelnick informed IGN that when Take-Two plots out its launch schedule, it does so with the goal of attempting to “respect the buyer’s want to spend so much of time taking part in these hit video games earlier than they go on to the subsequent.” He added: “I feel we’ll plan the releases in order to not have that be an issue.”

The chief additionally noticed that when a extremely well-liked and profitable title releases out there, it drives curiosity in and demand for different huge video games. “In different phrases, I’ve stated this many occasions, even when the hits aren’t ours, they are a good factor for the trade,” he stated. “On this case, we hope that the hits will largely be ours. So we really feel actually good about it.”

If Zelnick means what he says, then when might the GTA 6 launch date really be? Based mostly on Zelnick’s reasoning of giving huge video games room to breathe, a number of weeks after Borderlands 4 is perhaps a candidate, which means someday in mid to late October. November can also be a risk, however it’s pretty unusual for a serious launch to come back round Thanksgiving in late November. December is mostly much less stuffed with main releases, too. One other risk is that Take-Two shouldn’t be following the normal which means of “Fall,” and that GTA 6 could possibly be launched previous to Borderlands 4, as some have already theorized and interpreted primarily based on Take-Two’s personal monetary and press statements.

GTA 6 will succeed every time it is launched

Again in Might 2024, Zelnick stated there’s a “fever-pitch”-level of pleasure surrounding GTA 6, and that the sport’s launch date “most likely would not matter” as a result of it is going to be a success every time it is launched. Few would argue towards this given the recognition of the GTA franchise and the pent-up demand for GTA 6. However Zelnick did admit that GTA 6’s present Fall 2025 launch window is preferable to different durations of the yr due partly to the vacation buying season.

“Whereas it most likely would not matter, I feel we would all quite be within the launch window that we’re now,” the chief stated, referring to Fall 2025.

A doable GTA 6 delay

Each Rockstar Video games launch up to now decade has been delayed, and a few count on this pattern to proceed with GTA 6. Even Zelnick has admitted he cannot assure GTA 6 will not slip.

“Look, there’s at all times a danger of slippage and I feel as quickly as you say phrases like ‘completely,’ you jinx issues,” Zelnick informed IGN. On the identical time, he stated the corporate feels “actually good” about GTA 6 making it out on time.

Some have theorized that GTA 6 could have really already been delayed by the use of an inside delay that was by no means made public. In spite of everything, studies have recommended that GTA 6 has missed a number of inside improvement deadlines. Even when GTA 6 was already delayed internally, if the sport makes it out on time in Fall 2025, it might be Rockstar’s first launch in 10+ years to take action primarily based on publicly introduced dates.

The competitors

One other issue at play right here is the aggressive panorama for recreation releases in Fall 2025. It is a window identified to be stacked with huge releases to assist capitalize on the vacation buying season. Fall can also be the window when Activision traditionally releases its latest Name of Responsibility recreation, and that is anticipated to proceed this yr with a possible Black Ops 2 sequel. It has been reported that some rival publishers are holding again asserting dates for his or her upcoming 2025 video games till GTA 6 will get a agency date to keep away from a conflict.

GTA 5 was launched in September 2013, and it went on to outsell that yr’s Name of Responsibility recreation, Ghosts, for the total yr within the US. Rockstar’s subsequent huge launch was 2018’s Purple Useless Redemption II, and it outsold that yr’s Name of Responsibility launch, Black Ops 4. That is notable as a result of Name of Responsibility is thought to be practically a assure to be the yr’s best-seller, other than years when Rockstar releases a brand new recreation (or in 2023 when a juggernaut like Hogwarts Legacy dethroned Name of Responsibility).

For 2025, the competitors from blockbuster franchises could possibly be even stiffer, as EA is rumored to be eyeing an October 2025 launch for Battlefield 6. Nonetheless, EA administration just lately admitted that it might shift Battlefield 6’s launch date to keep away from a sure huge recreation out there, with many taking that to imply GTA 6.

Exterior of massive FPS franchises, the Nintendo Change 2 is launching this yr and is probably going to attract important curiosity with anticipated video games like Mario Kart 9 and a brand new 3D Mario, although the overlap with GTA 6’s anticipated core fanbase won’t be as important in comparison with different video games.

Zelnick acknowledged the aggressive panorama surrounding GTA 6 just lately, saying, “Conceitedness is the enemy of continued success.” He added: “We’re all operating scared and searching over our shoulders and we all know that the competitors shouldn’t be asleep.”

Ubisoft has stated it welcomes GTA 6’s arrival out there as a result of a big recreation launch could draw new gamers to gaming or name again lapsed gamers, which in flip will increase the whole dimension of the gaming market. This advantages everybody, Ubisoft believes.

What’s subsequent

The primary trailer for GTA 6 was launched in December 2023. Rockstar went a complete yr in 2024 with out uttering a phrase about GTA 6 or releasing any new trailers or pictures. Take-Two solely spoke about GTA 6 in 2024 on the highest stage, one thing it is continued to do in 2025. Everyone seems to be questioning when the subsequent GTA 6 trailer could possibly be launched, and nobody is aware of the reply. The lack of knowledge about GTA 6 from Rockstar over the previous year-plus is giving some followers a trigger for concern, whether or not it is warranted or not.

Take-Two will launch its subsequent earnings report this Might. Release date bulletins, or information about delays, is usually related to those investor briefings, so Might could possibly be the subsequent month to circle for potential new data. For historic context, Rockstar introduced in Might 2017 that Purple Useless Redemption II was delayed from Fall 2017 to Spring 2018. Some GTA followers concern Might 2025 may carry information that GTA 6 is delayed from Fall 2025 to Spring 2026. Solely time will inform.

Rockstar might launch a brand new GTA 6 trailer and talk about the sport in additional element tomorrow. Nobody is aware of. Every time it does launch, it is positive to have an outsized impression on the video games trade.