The widespread anticipation surroundingGrand Theft Auto 6is unlike anything the gaming industry has seen for a very long time, with the title finally feeling within reaching distance for fans. After a wait for the project that has lasted over a decade, the confirmation of the game’s 2025 release window has caused the surrounding excitement to skyrocket, with fans counting down the days for the next trailer or update from Rockstar.
Despite the buzz and positivity surroundingGrand Theft Auto 6, it is no secret that the game has already faced a lot of high-profile setbacks, and the concept of a delay toGTA 6’s release date is something that is not completely outside the realm of possibility. Of course, this would be devastating and would stand as one of the most high-profile delays in gaming history, and the ramifications for Rockstar and fans would go beyond the initial disappointment of the news. The modern landscape of the AAA gaming industry has seen massive releases take extremely long times to release, and a delay toGTA 6could have a direct impact on the future of other influential Rockstar IPs likeRed Dead Redemption.
Future Rockstar Titles Could Really Struggle with a Grand Theft Auto 6 Delay
Thankfully, there is no current indication thatGrand Theft Auto 6will face a delay to its current 2025 release window, but it is not that uncommon for games as expansive and ambitious asGTA 6to go through some major hiccups in their development process. Many were worried about how the high-profileleaks forGTA 6that occurred in September 2022might impact the development of the game, but it seems likely that Rockstar has already factored this into its aims for a 2025 release.
While the excitement aroundGrand Theft Auto 6is still something to be enjoyed, the 12-year wait that fans will have experienced when the game launches is a worrying testament to the future of AAA gaming. Fans only had to wait five years betweenGTA 4andGTA 5, for example, andthe growing scale of Rockstar sequelsis seeing this downtime between releases increase at a worrying pace.
It is not foolish to imagine that the wait betweenGrand Theft Auto 6and the next franchise title could be close to 15 years or beyond, and any delays that might impactGTA 6’s release would have a domino effect that would only increase the probability of these massive wait times. Following the usual pattern of Rockstar releases, it is likely that the studio will turn its attention to another franchise following the release ofGTA 6, meaning that a delay to the project would also have an impact on the likes ofa potentialRed Dead Redemption 3.
Any Delays to Grand Theft Auto 6 Will Prevent Rockstar’s Attention From Turning Elsewhere
With Rockstar firmly focused onGrand Theft Auto 6as things stand, there are no other projects that are confirmed to be in development at the studio, but a delay toGTA 6would absolutely impact the start and eventual release of any future games. While a lot of fans debatewhether Rockstar will even pursueRed Dead Redemption 3, the studio could easily branch out to new IPs like it has in the past, and a slower roll-out ofGTA 6will only hurt the chances of these projects getting the resources they need any time soon.
IfGrand Theft Auto 5is anything to go by, thenGTA 6will also be the subject of extensive and lengthy post-launch support in the way of updates, multiplayer content, and, unlike its predecessor,potentially evenGTA 6storyDLC. A delay to the release ofGTA 6will only slow the implementation of any post-launch plans that Rockstar might have for the title, taking resources away from future Rockstar titles for an even longer time. As things stand,GTA 6seems on track to meet its 2025 release window, but a potential delay would impact all of Rockstar’s future endeavors, while worsening the worrying wait times that fans face with modern AAA releases.
Grand Theft Auto 6
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Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.
