GTA 6 being delayed could 'tank companies', and studios are avoiding it like the plague

As reported by PC Gamer, industry experts have been widely speculating about the effect on GTA 6 on the gaming markets. While it should prove to be a huge uplift for gaming as a whole - there's a chance that even a slight change of plans could run studios into the ground.

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Ben Porter, an industry intelligence expert at Newzoo, commented on the potential for a GTA 6 delay. Highlighting that while companies try to steer clear of the anticipated title, there's a lot of fear surrounding launch plans.

"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?" he said to PC Gamer.

Runways are a huge concern for gaming studios, and Porter elaborates on how, in the scenario that GTA 6 was delayed, pushing a runway any further could spell disaster for companies.

"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?"

With that in mind, you have the basis for concern over the next year for gaming studios. Developers are adjusting timelines, shelving marketing plans, and re-routing launches just to avoid being drowned out by the noise of GTA 6. While there's no evidence to suggest that a delay is incoming, the fear is still looming - the equivalent, as Porter describes, of a gigantic iceberg.

"Everybody that we're talking to, they're ships trying to move out of the way of this big iceberg that is GTA 6."

GTA 6 is currently slated to release in the fall of 2025, and gamers are eagerly awaiting the second trailer from Rockstar Games. At this point in time, all eyes are on Rockstar - not just from fans, but from the whole industry holding its breath.