The games industry has been left reeling from the announcement that GTA 6 has been delayed but once more, with its launch pushed again from Could to November 19, 2026. The information was revealed as half of Take-Two Interactive’s spectacular second quarter monetary outcomes, and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick advised GamesIndustry.biz that he was “not in the least” bit anxious about the impression of the delay on his enterprise.
However it’s truthful to assume that the information has been inflicting fear elsewhere in the industry – significantly for publishers who’ve releases lined up in This autumn 2024, which can now be up towards what is probably going to be the greatest recreation launch in historical past. Others, nevertheless, will probably be relishing the prospect of a newly opened up Q2 window.
GamesIndustry.biz contacted a spread of industry figures – together with publishers, entrepreneurs, and journalists – to discover out their response to the GTA 6 delay and the way it would possibly have an effect on their plans for 2026. You may discover their responses under – however first, analyst Piers Harding-Rolls offers his tackle how the delay would possibly have an effect on the industry as an entire.
Piers Harding-Rolls (analysis director, games, Ampere Evaluation)
Publishers will undoubtedly shuffle round their launch schedules to keep away from going head-to-head with GTA 6. Nevertheless, some annual franchises frequently arrive in November, together with Name of Obligation. I am undecided it is in the pursuits of the industry or marketplace for these to launch in the similar month. It is attainable the 2026 model of CoD would possibly come sooner than November. The publishers which have releases coming in the earlier launch window will of course be respiration extra simply.
The delay could have a major impression on console gross sales dynamics in 2026. Console gross sales will probably be much more again loaded in 2026 than is regular. Usually, in phrases of launch timing and producing the most console gross sales, I feel a launch in This autumn is healthier than in Q2 due to the gifting season dynamic, so there’s a silver lining to an extent.
“May the late arrival of GTA 6 have an effect on when next-gen consoles come to market?”
Piers Harding-Rolls, Ampere Evaluation
A query I am fascinated about extra progressively is that this: May the late arrival of GTA 6 have an effect on when next-gen consoles come to market? As the recreation is such an essential driver of {hardware} gross sales – not simply at launch however over a number of years – Sony and Microsoft could have needed a a lot earlier launch than late 2026 so they may generate momentum earlier in the cycle.
We’re at the moment forecasting a next-gen PlayStation and Xbox to arrive in late 2027 – however would possibly the console corporations be tempted to get extra from the present console era by driving the GTA 6 wave and ready till 2028? The incontrovertible fact that games at the moment are cross-gen makes this much less of an element, maybe, however such is the measurement of the GTA franchise, the launch timing will get all areas of the games enterprise fascinated about their product methods.
Stefano Petrullo (founder, Renaissance PR)
I am anticipating a major reshuffle in the 2026 leisure calendar (not simply games) as a result of of this delay. So much of This autumn titles would possibly now shift – both launching earlier (presumably with much less polish) or later (probably at the value of income).
(*6*)
As for our personal plans, this really offers us a bit extra respiration room round Could/June. In a means, the delay may work in our favour. November is already notoriously crowded, and as an alternative of having a number of AAA launches, we’ll now have one AAA title dominating the total window – taking on all the oxygen, so to converse. After all, the full impression will actually rely upon how different publishers react and the place their titles land in the reshuffle.
In our pitch deck, we have already got a GTA 6 slide to assist handle expectations round protection with all our shoppers to ensure we now have contingency and artistic concepts on how to deal with one of the greatest leisure occasions of the previous few years.
Alex Nichiporchik (CEO, TinyBuild)
The delay permits us to be rather more versatile with Q2/Q3 launches. Let the AAAs combat it out in This autumn.
Alex Donaldson (editor-at-large, Eurogamer; proprietor/founder, RPG Website)
My first fast thought was aid that it’s not less than nonetheless in calendar 2026! Clearly, GTA is a big beat for all of the media, and all people is extraordinarily excited for the content material and visitors alternatives it is going to deliver. At the similar time, I do not assume many games media have the luxurious of planning thus far forward [as] subsequent Could at this stage – that kind of planning would’ve kicked off in the new yr, so it is not like we’re submitting detailed plans into the shredder. Though I do know a number of members of our crew are rethinking their vacation plans – abruptly, going away in Could is extra doable!
The predominant factor it offers me pause for thought on is not only the delay in the arrival of any GTA buzz or a GTA ‘bump’ for the media panorama, however the impact it would now have on the relaxation of subsequent yr. Relaxation assured, games will probably be shifting again in consequence of this – some vacation 2026 stuff is unquestionably punting into 2027 now, and so forth. Some of that we would discover out about unofficially ‘on the grapevine,’ and a few would possibly stay a company secret, however in the finish, all of that’s going to deeply have an effect on our workflow subsequent yr. I take into consideration this greater than most, as I cut up my time throughout a number of publications – and whereas GTA is essential to some of them, to not less than one it is outdoors of protection scope. So 2026, a key mission is scouring for non-GTA alternatives.
There may be another main impression – the delay gave us an ideal likelihood to write extra about GTA, which we in any other case would not have been doing to the similar degree this week. That is good for visitors, beginning attention-grabbing conversations with readers, and speaking about the exhausting realities round recreation growth – be that Rockstar’s current layoffs, how lengthy advanced games take to make, or no matter else.
Henrique Olifiers (co-founder, Bossa Studios)
Like most of our friends in the industry, we monitor the launch window of titles with the potential to command vital mobilisation from influencers and take outsized timeshare from gamers, GTA 6 being the greatest instance of such a profile. Its delay into November 2026 opens up launch alternatives for some of our titles, thus there will probably be scheduling realignment happening following the newest growth from Rockstar.
Charlotte Willis (PR account director, Diva Company)
It is positively affected issues, that is for certain! We have simply seen the 2026 calendar rewritten in a single day by one of the greatest, if not the greatest, recreation releases of current years. We noticed an identical domino impact, on a unique scale, when Hole Knight: Silksong’s launch window shifted and different indies scrambled to discover a new launch date. This GTA 6 delay is that very same phenomenon, however magnified a thousand occasions, particularly as rivals could have already reshuffled launch dates according to their final delay.
Our function proper now’s to associate with our shoppers, pay attention to their issues, and advise the place wanted on this new panorama.
It is essential to do not forget that not each recreation is in direct competitors. A shopper with a deep JRPG or a comfortable farming sim has a basically completely different viewers to GTA 6, so their core followers will nonetheless be there for them, and their gross sales is probably not completely impacted.
“That Q2 window Rockstar simply vacated has abruptly grow to be the most precious actual property of the yr”
Charlotte Willis, Diva Company
Nevertheless, we now have to be real looking about press and creator priorities. The problem for these games is as an alternative the battle for ‘share of voice.’ GTA 6 will devour the majority of the oxygen in the room throughout This autumn 2026. So now our job is to discover the finest methods for our shoppers to be heard earlier than and after that noise.
However, to be optimistic for a second, that Q2 window Rockstar simply vacated has abruptly grow to be the most precious actual property of the yr. This delay hasn’t simply created a problem, it is also created a large new alternative for the proper games to step in and personal the first half of 2026 – in the event that they’re prepared to launch then, that’s. So we’re viewing it as extra of a strategic reshuffle as opposed to a catastrophe. However on this industry of delays and shadow drops, we’re all the time alert to change and disruption, so it hasn’t completely blindsided us, it simply would possibly give us some GTMs [go-to-markets] to regulate.
Mario Wynands (CEO, PikPok)
The shuffling of launch timings of numerous games attributable to the earlier GTA 6 delay and Silksong’s sudden launch date drop have been attention-grabbing to observe, and it has been attention-grabbing to try to unpack the professionals and cons of releasing subsequent to these monster games. The information is fairly contemporary, however we do have one thing scheduled for launch at that very same time, so we now have already began debating whether or not or not to change our plans.
Damien Sarrazin (CEO & founder, HomeRun PR)
The delay of GTA 6 inevitably reshapes the 2026 launch panorama. For a lot of of our shoppers, it opens up a beneficial window – one which was beforehand seen as utterly dominated by Rockstar’s advertising and marketing and media gravity. We will probably be revisiting launch timelines and marketing campaign methods in the subsequent few weeks to take benefit of this respiration room. Whereas GTA’s delay shifts consideration, it additionally creates contemporary alternatives for different titles to shine in a less-crowded highlight.