Key Takeaways
1. GTA VI has been delayed to May 2026, allowing other games to avoid competition with its launch.
2. Sucker Punch Productions celebrated the delay of GTA VI, relieving pressure on their own game release.
3. The hype around GTA VI is significant, with trailers accumulating millions of views.
4. Ghost of Yotei, a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, is set to release on October 2, 2025, and has completed development.
5. Other game developers are relieved about the GTA VI delay, but summer 2026 releases may still face competition.
It looks like the gaming world can finally breathe a little easier now that Rockstar Games has pushed back the release of its much-anticipated title, GTA VI, to May 2026. This delay allows other games to dodge head-to-head competition with one of the biggest gaming launches of the decade. This sentiment is shared by Sucker Punch Productions, the creators of Ghost of Yotei, who are celebrating the news.
Studio Reaction to Delay
In a lively conversation with MinnMax, Sucker Punch’s creative director, Nate Fox, shared his thoughts about the delay of GTA VI. When asked if the studio celebrated the news with champagne, he chuckled and replied, “We’re all still hungover. Multi-month hangover. That was a great day.” It’s easy to see the pressure that studios like Sucker Punch undergo when releasing games in close proximity to major titles like the Grand Theft Auto series. Experts estimate that the game might pull in around $7.6 billion within its first two months.
Hype Around Grand Theft Auto VI
The buzz surrounding GTA VI is impressive, with the first trailer released almost a year ago accumulating 265 million views, while the second trailer, which came out four months back, attracted 130 million views. This clearly indicates the excitement and anticipation within the gaming community.
As for Ghost of Yotei, it is set to hit the shelves exclusively for PlayStation 5 on October 2, 2025. This game is a follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima, which reached impressive sales, moving 10 million copies by July 2022 and surpassing 13 million copies by September 2024.
Game Development Update
The story now shifts to 17th-century Japan, where players will follow a new hero named Atsu. Sucker Punch has announced that Ghost of Yotei has officially “gone gold,” indicating that the game’s development has wrapped up and is gearing up for its exciting launch.
The feeling of relief at Sucker Punch Productions isn’t solely felt by them; many in the industry view Grand Theft Auto VI as a “black cloud that looms over everything.” Other studios, such as the ones working on The Outer Worlds 2, have humorously shared their own relief about securing a launch date that won’t clash with Rockstar’s powerhouse title.
Nonetheless, developers aiming for a summer 2026 release will face stiff competition since Take-Two Interactive’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, expressed “very, very high” confidence that GTA VI will stick to its revised launch timeline.
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