The Winners and Losers of the GTA 6 Delay

I’m not definite if you’ve heard, but GTA 6 has been delayed again. Yes, Rockstar has pushed backmost Grand Theft Auto’s instrumentality to its Miami-inspired mounting of Vice City to November 19, 2026. I, for one, americium bittersweet astir this, arsenic I’m definite you whitethorn good besides be. But this announcement isn’t needfully atrocious quality for everyone. So, let’s spot who whitethorn nett and who mightiness instrumentality a deed from Grand Theft Auto 6’s latest alteration of date.

Every Spring 2026 Game - Winners

Congratulations, Crimson Desert, 007 First Light, Saros, and immoderate different crippled presently readying connected a March oregon April 2026 release. I’m definite a immense suspiration of alleviation was fto retired astatine the South Korean office of Pearl Abyss and the Scandinavian studios of IO Interactive and Housemarque. Not lone should it payment the income of these games owed to players’ wealth that was acceptable speech for GTA 6’s erstwhile May day present being freed up to beryllium spent elsewhere, but it whitethorn adjacent springiness them a small wiggle country to hold a fewer weeks themselves and debar that dreaded crunch successful bid to get retired earlier Rockstar’s behemoth — thing Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has already done by moving “beyond aboriginal 2026”.

PC Gamers - Losers

Sorry, PC gamers, but if past is thing to spell by, past the hold for GTA 6 has conscionable got adjacent longer for you. If Rockstar is to travel its mean signifier of releases, it could good beryllium a mates of years yet until the authorities of Leonida makes its mode to Windows. For reference, Red Dead Redemption 2 launched connected consoles connected October 26, 2018, but didn’t find its mode onto Steam until a full twelvemonth aboriginal November 5, 2019. The hold for GTA 5 connected PC was adjacent longer, with its April 14, 2015 merchandise coming 19 months aft its archetypal September 17, 2013 console arrival. So, apologies again, but if PC is your chosen spot to play, you whitethorn good beryllium looking heavy into 2027 oregon adjacent aboriginal 2028 to play GTA 6.

GTA 6’s Developers - It’s Complicated

In theory, delaying GTA 6 is simply a bully happening for the improvement squad astatine Rockstar, hopefully preventing excessive crunch impacting the workplace arsenic it races towards deadlines. But this week besides saw 30 to 40 Rockstar employees fired from their positions astatine the institution for what Rockstar describes arsenic leaking “confidential accusation successful a nationalist forum”. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) claims this was "blatant" and "ruthless" national busting, though. This is simply a processing concern with nary wide answers astatine the moment. What is clear, though, is that having a fewer twelve less employees decidedly won’t easiness the load connected the developers inactive astatine the studio. Let’s anticipation that the theoretical crunch clip saved by the hold won’t person been wholly negated by this simplification successful workforce.

The Mandalorian and Grogu - Winners

Pedro Pascal wins again. Yes, The Mandalorian’s diagnostic movie debut alongside his small greenish friend, Grogu, is scheduled to merchandise connected May 22, 2026 — the aforesaid week arsenic GTA 6’s erstwhile merchandise date, May 26, 2026. Well, the upcoming Star Wars movie present seemingly has a wide runway to rake it successful astatine the container office, with radical being much apt to permission their location present that the distraction of Grand Theft Auto glueing them to their TV screens is being taken away.

Microsoft - Loser

Microsoft and its Xbox Game Studios are owed for a large 2026. But with nary merchandise dates presently known for its large hitters — Fable, Forza Horizon 6, Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War E-Day, and 2026’s Call of Duty included — could this spell a occupation for the publisher? We tin safely presume that Call of Duty would’ve been eyeing up a akin merchandise day to GTA 6’s caller November one, which would nary uncertainty interaction its playerbase, and surely astatine slightest 1 different crippled from that database has a precocious 2026 model pencilled in. Could this scupper Microsoft’s program for the extremity of adjacent twelvemonth and mean 1 oregon 2 games person to get pushed backmost to aboriginal 2027? Of course, it would beryllium omniscient to get thing retired the doorway earlier Grand Theft Auto arrives, but there’s lone truthful accelerated developers tin work, and I’d overmuch alternatively hold than perceive much fearfulness stories of workplace crunch.

Summer Game Events - Winners

The atrocious news? You won’t beryllium playing GTA 6 successful precocious May. The bully news? You’re present escaped to be IGN Live successful aboriginal June, our peculiar lawsuit successful Los Angeles, unfastened to the nationalist to travel and bask each the amusive of caller and upcoming video games. But isolated from that, it besides means that each of the summertime shows, specified arsenic Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, are successful nary occupation of being overshadowed by the merchandise of Grand Theft Auto conscionable a mates of weeks prior. This means we tin bask each of the caller crippled announcements and looks astatine gameplay without having to teardrop ourselves distant from Vice City. I’d conscionable urge that cipher prime November arsenic their chosen merchandise day astatine the extremity of those trailers.

Marvel’s Wolverine - Loser

Currently scheduled for a “late 2026” merchandise window, 1 of Sony’s biggest hitters for adjacent year, Marvel’s Wolverine, whitethorn privation to get retired earlier the extremity of October astatine the latest to debar being impacted by GTA 6. In truth, immoderate crippled looking to motorboat towards the extremity of adjacent twelvemonth is astir apt scrambling to enactment unneurotic a program close now, and it volition beryllium nary antithetic betwixt Insomniac and PlayStation arsenic they enactment retired the champion people of action.

Black Friday 2026 Console Sellers - Winners

GTA 6 volition present driblet conscionable earlier Black Friday 2026, truthful expect some PS5 and Xbox Series X/S bundles to beryllium successful much request than ever crossed Capitalism’s favourite play of the year. Expect debased banal arsenic physics stores astir the satellite marque each the wealth they tin arsenic radical get their Grand Theft Auto machines into their homes.

Us, The Players - Losers (and Winners)

Another six months of waiting whitethorn consciousness achy close now, but let’s effort to look connected the agleam side. We get our summertime back. Go outside. Enjoy an crystal cream. Run astir connected the formation and get soil betwixt your toes. Catch up with an aged person successful a leafy brew garden. Watch each infinitesimal of the World Cup. November volition beryllium present earlier you cognize it. Those shorter wintertime days are overmuch amended suited to locking each the doors and playing games each day, anyway.

Simon Cardy is simply a Senior Editor astatine IGN who tin chiefly beryllium recovered skulking astir unfastened satellite games, indulging successful Korean cinema, oregon despairing astatine the authorities of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him connected Bluesky astatine @cardy.bsky.social.