GTA 6 delayed winners and losers
Blog Andrew Joseph 08 Nov , 2025 0
I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but GTA 6 delayed again. Yes, Rockstar has delayed Grand Theft Auto's return to Miami-style Vice City until November 19, 2026. I feel sad about this myself, and I'm sure you probably feel sad too. But the news isn't necessarily bad news for everyone. So, let’s see who will benefit from this and who will get hit Grand Theft Auto 6 Date of last change.
2026 Spring Contest – Winner
Congratulations, red desert, 007 The first ray of light, Sharosas well as any other games currently scheduled for release in March or April 2026. I'm sure Pearl Abyss' Korean headquarters and the Scandinavian studios of IO Interactive and Housemarque are breathing a sigh of relief. Not only would this be good for sales of these games, as the money players had set aside for GTA 6's May release would now be freed up to spend elsewhere, but it might even give them some wiggle room to delay themselves for a few weeks and avoid the dreaded crunch in order to exit before the behemoth that is Rockstar – sort of. “Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra” has been completed “beyond early 2026”.
Computer Gamer – Loser
Sorry, PC gamers, but if history is any guide, the wait for GTA 6 will be even longer for you. If Rockstar follows its normal release pattern, it will likely be several years before Leonida State comes to Windows. For reference, Red Dead Redemption 2 It launched on consoles on October 26, 2018, but didn't hit Steam until a year later, on November 5, 2019. grand theft auto 5 The PC version took even longer to release, releasing on April 14, 2015, 19 months after the console version was released on September 17, 2013. So, again, sorry, if you choose to play on PC, you'll most likely be considering playing GTA 6 in 2027 or even early 2028.
Developers of GTA 6 – It's complicated
In theory, delaying GTA 6 is a good thing for Rockstar's development team, hoping to prevent excessive overtime from affecting the studio as it meets deadlines. But 30 to 40 Rockstar employees were also laid off from the company this week because of Rockstar says it “leaks confidential information in public forum”. this The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) claimed it was “blatant” and “ruthless” union-bustingalthough. This is an evolving situation and there is currently no clear answer. What yes What's clear, though, is that cutting a few dozen employees certainly won't ease the burden on developers still at the studio. We hope that the theoretical critical time saved by delay is not completely offset by the reduction in labor.
The Mandalorian and Grogu – Winner
Pedro Pascal wins again. Yes, the first feature film for The Mandalorian and his green sidekick Grogu is set to hit theaters on May 22, 2026, the same week as Grand Theft Auto 6's last release date (May 26, 2026). The upcoming Star Wars movie now seems to have a clear path to the box office, and people are more likely to leave their homes now that the distraction of Grand Theft Auto that kept them glued to their TV screens is being replaced. leave.
Microsoft – Loser
Microsoft and its Xbox Game Studios are expecting a big event in 2026. However, the release date of his masterpiece has not yet been announced – fable, Forza Horizon 6, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War Electronic Dayand Call of Duty in 2026 – will this cause problems for publishers? We can safely assume that Call of Duty will have a similar November release date to GTA 6, which will undoubtedly impact its player base, and at least one game on this list is also targeting a late 2026 release date. Will this derail Microsoft's plans for the end of next year and mean that one or two games will have to be delayed until early 2027? Of course, it's smart to get something out before Grand Theft Auto arrives, but developers are limited in how fast they can work, and I'd rather wait than hear more horror stories of studio crunch.
Summer Competition – Winners
Bad news? You won't be able to play GTA 6 in late May. Good news? You can now attend for free in early June IGN Live, our special event in Los Angeles open to the public to enjoy all the fun of new and upcoming video games. But beyond that, it also means that all the summer shows, like Jeff Keighley's Summer Games Festival, won't be overshadowed by the release of Grand Theft Auto a few weeks ago. This means we can enjoy all the new game announcements and check out gameplay without having to leave Vice City. I'm just suggesting that everyone not pick November as their release date of choice at the end of these trailers.
Marvel Wolverine – Loser
Currently planned for a “late 2026” release window, this is one of Sony's hottest products next year, Marvel's Wolverinemay want to launch it before the end of October at the latest to avoid being affected by GTA 6. In fact, any game looking to launch late next year is probably busy making plans right now, and it's no different between Insomniac and PlayStation as they both work out their best course of action.
Black Friday Console Sellers 2026 – Winners
GTA 6 is now set to release ahead of Black Friday 2026, so expect the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S bundle to be in higher demand than ever during Capitalism's favorite weekend of the year. As people bring Grand Theft Auto machines into their homes, electronics stores around the world are scrambling to make money and expect inventory to dwindle.
We, the players – the losers (and winners)
Now, waiting another six months might feel painful, but let's try to look on the bright side. We're back to summer again. Go outside. Enjoy ice cream. Run up and down the beach and get sand between your toes. Catch up with an old friend in the tree-lined beer garden. Watch every minute of the World Cup. Before you know it, November is here. Regardless, those shorter winter months are better for locking all the doors and playing games all day long.
Simon Cardy is a senior editor at IGN, who can be found mostly lurking around open-world games, obsessing over Korean movies, or despairing about the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky: @cardy.bsky.social.