It hit like a bombshell when it was revealed that the wait for Grand Theft Auto VI would be even longer, as the game has been officially delayed until November 19, 2026. This means that there is still more or less a whole year to go until the launch.
Sad for all gamers, of course, but it's not all doom and gloom. Not everyone wants to admit it, but Grand Theft Auto VI is obviously a formidable competitor that is expected to sweep the board with absolutely everything. And one company that sees a brighter future as a result of Rockstar's delay is Danish 007 First Light developer IO Interactive.
CEO Hakan Abrak comments on what this means in an interview with GamesIndustry, saying refreshingly bluntly: "It would be a lie not to say that obviously spring looks really good."
007 First Light will be released on March 27 for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, and getting several extra months without having to grapple with Rockstar's perhaps most anticipated title ever is obviously positive. That said, Abrak admits that Grand Theft Auto VI is still a net positive for everyone involved:
"I want to say in the same breath that GTA 6 is a welcome thing for the industry. I do believe a lot of gamers who maybe haven't played for a while will get into things again, and generally for the industry as a whole. I think that will be amazing."
2026 will be an exciting year, where one can suspect that all publishers will be keeping a close eye on Grand Theft Auto VI and no one will voluntarily release their games anywhere near it, something that could result in the normally best month of the year for major releases (November) being leaner than it has been in a very long time.