Report: Delay of Grand Theft Auto VI could have significant consequences for the gaming industry

If everything goes according to plan — which we sincerely hope — Grand Theft Auto VI will be released this autumn. It could very well become the biggest video game launch in history, with the potential to generate over 3 billion USD in revenue within its first year.

But Rockstar's game isn't just highly anticipated — it's also something many game companies fear. Because Grand Theft Auto VI casts a long shadow, and no other developer will want to release anything new anywhere near it. This forces many studios to plan their upcoming launches around the game, which also presents a major risk — especially if Grand Theft Auto VI ends up being delayed.

Ben Foster, senior consultant at analytics firm Newzoo, recently described how a delay of GTA VI's launch could have devastating consequences for many other companies in the industry. If the game were to be pushed back by several months, it could create a black hole — a massive gap in the release schedule — and force studios to either launch during a period of lower market activity or postpone their own titles entirely.

In an interview with PC Gamer, Foster said:

"If you're a game company who's holding its breath waiting for GTA 6 to get out, and then it gets delayed by three, four, five, six months, what do you do? You either have to be able to launch into that big black hole that's been left open now, or you have to extend your run rate by an additional six months - I'm certain some companies are going to tank as a result of that, right?"

In short, a delay wouldn't just impact Take-Two Interactive — it could have wider implications for the entire industry, potentially making this fall a dry and uneventful one for gaming. So let's all hope Grand Theft Auto VI gets finished on time.

How excited are you for Grand Theft Auto VI?