The video games trade reacts to the delay of GTA 6

The video games trade has been left reeling from the announcement that GTA 6 has been delayed but once more, with its launch pushed again from May to November 19, 2026. The information was revealed as a part 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 nervous in regards to the impression of the delay on his enterprise.

But it is honest to imagine that the information has been inflicting fear elsewhere within the trade – notably for publishers who’ve releases lined up in This fall 2024, which is able to now be up in opposition to what’s more likely to be the largest sport launch in historical past. Others, nonetheless, shall be relishing the prospect of a newly opened up Q2 window.

GamesIndustry.biz contacted a variety of trade figures – together with publishers, entrepreneurs, and journalists – to seek out out their response to the GTA 6 delay and the way it may have an effect on their plans for 2026. You’ll discover their responses beneath – however first, analyst Piers Harding-Rolls provides his tackle how the delay may have an effect on the trade as an entire.

Piers Harding-Rolls (analysis director, video games, Ampere Analysis)

Publishers will undoubtedly shuffle round their launch schedules to keep away from going head-to-head with GTA 6. However, some annual franchises frequently arrive in November, together with Call of Duty. I’m undecided it is within the pursuits of the trade or marketplace for these to launch in the identical month. It’s attainable the 2026 model of CoD may come sooner than November. The publishers which have releases coming within the earlier launch window will after all be respiration extra simply.

The delay can have a big impression on console gross sales dynamics in 2026. Console gross sales shall be much more again loaded in 2026 than is regular. Generally, by way of launch timing and producing probably the most console gross sales, I believe a launch in This fall is healthier than in Q2 because of the gifting season dynamic, so there’s a silver lining to an extent.

“Could the late arrival of GTA 6 have an impact on when next-gen consoles come to market?”

Piers Harding-Rolls, Ampere Analysis

A query I’m eager about extra progressively is that this: Could the late arrival of GTA 6 have an effect on when next-gen consoles come to market? As the sport is such an essential driver of {hardware} gross sales – not simply at launch however over a number of years – Sony and Microsoft can have needed a a lot earlier launch than late 2026 so they might generate momentum earlier within the cycle.

We are at present forecasting a next-gen PlayStation and Xbox to reach in late 2027 – however may the console corporations be tempted to get extra from the present console era by using the GTA 6 wave and ready till 2028? The proven fact that video games are actually cross-gen makes this much less of an element, maybe, however such is the scale of the GTA franchise, the launch timing will get all areas of the video games enterprise eager about their product methods.

Stefano Petrullo (founder, Renaissance PR)

I’m anticipating a big reshuffle within the 2026 leisure calendar (not simply video games) due to this delay. Quite a lot of This fall titles may now shift – both launching earlier (probably with much less polish) or later (probably at the price of income).

As for our personal plans, this truly provides us a bit extra respiration room round May/June. In a manner, the delay might work in our favour. November is already notoriously crowded, and as a substitute of getting a number of AAA launches, we’ll now have one AAA title dominating all the window – taking on all of the oxygen, so to talk. Of course, the complete impression will actually depend upon how different publishers react and the place their titles land within 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 inventive concepts on how you can sort out one of many largest leisure occasions of the previous few years.

Alex Nichiporchik (CEO, TinyBuild)

The delay permits us to be way more versatile with Q2/Q3 launches. Let the AAAs struggle it out in This fall.

Alex Donaldson (editor-at-large, Eurogamer; proprietor/founder, RPG Site)

My first speedy thought was aid that it’s at the very least nonetheless in calendar 2026! Obviously, GTA is a large beat for all the media, and all people is extraordinarily excited for the content material and site visitors alternatives it may carry. At the identical time, I do not assume many video games media have the posh of planning thus far forward [as] subsequent May at this stage – that form of planning would’ve kicked off within the new yr, so it isn’t like we’re submitting detailed plans into the shredder. Although I do know a number of members of our group are rethinking their vacation plans – out of the blue, going away in May is extra doable!

The essential factor it provides me pause for thought on isn’t just the delay within the arrival of any GTA buzz or a GTA ‘bump’ for the media panorama, however the impact it’s going to now have on the remainder of subsequent yr. Rest assured, video games shall be shifting again because of this – some vacation 2026 stuff is definitely punting into 2027 now, and so forth. Some of that we’d discover out about unofficially ‘on the grapevine,’ and a few may stay a company secret, however ultimately, 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 a few of them, to at the very least one it is outdoors of protection scope. So taking a look at 2026, a key mission is scouring for non-GTA alternatives.

There is another main impression – the delay gave us an incredible likelihood to jot down extra about GTA, which we in any other case would not have been doing to the identical stage this week. That’s good for site visitors, beginning fascinating conversations with readers, and speaking in regards to the laborious realities round sport improvement – be that Rockstar’s latest layoffs, how lengthy complicated video games take to make, or no matter else.

Henrique Olifiers (co-founder, Bossa Studios)

Like most of our friends within the trade, we monitor the discharge window of titles with the potential to command important mobilisation from influencers and take outsized timeshare from gamers, GTA 6 being the largest instance of such a profile. Its delay into November 2026 opens up launch alternatives for a few of our titles, thus there shall be scheduling realignment going down following the most recent improvement from Rockstar.

Charlotte Willis (PR account director, Diva Agency)

It’s positively affected issues, that is for certain! We’ve simply seen the 2026 calendar rewritten in a single day by one of many largest, if not the largest, sport releases of latest years. We noticed an identical domino impact, on a distinct scale, when Hollow 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 opponents can have already reshuffled launch dates according to their final delay.

Our function proper now could be to associate with our shoppers, hearken to their considerations, and advise the place wanted on this new panorama.

It’s essential to do not forget that not each sport is in direct competitors. A consumer with a deep JRPG or a comfortable farming sim has a basically totally 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 just vacated has suddenly become the most valuable real estate of the year”

Charlotte Willis, Diva Agency

However, we now have to be real looking about press and creator priorities. The problem for these video games is as a substitute the battle for ‘share of voice.’ GTA 6 will eat nearly all of the oxygen within the room throughout This fall 2026. So now our job is to seek out the very best methods for our shoppers to be heard earlier than and after that noise.

But, to be optimistic for a second, that Q2 window Rockstar simply vacated has out of the blue grow to be probably the most priceless actual property of the yr. This delay hasn’t simply created a problem, it is also created a large new alternative for the fitting video games to step in and personal the primary half of 2026 – in the event that they’re able to launch then, that’s. So we’re viewing it as extra of a strategic reshuffle versus a catastrophe. But on this trade of delays and shadow drops, we’re all the time alert to alter and disruption, so it hasn’t completely blindsided us, it simply may give us some GTMs [go-to-markets] to regulate.

Mario Wynands (CEO, PikPok)

The shuffling of launch timings of varied video games attributable to the earlier GTA 6 delay and Silksong’s sudden launch date drop have been fascinating to look at, and it has been fascinating to try to unpack the professionals and cons of releasing subsequent to those monster video 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 to not change our plans.

Damien Sarrazin (CEO & founder, HomeRun PR)

The delay of GTA 6 inevitably reshapes the 2026 launch panorama. For a lot of our shoppers, it opens up a priceless window – one which was beforehand seen as fully dominated by Rockstar’s advertising and marketing and media gravity. We shall be revisiting launch timelines and marketing campaign methods within the subsequent few weeks to reap the benefits of this respiration room. While GTA’s delay shifts consideration, it additionally creates contemporary alternatives for different titles to shine in a less-crowded highlight.