Nintendo Could Be the Big Winner if GTA 6 Gets Delayed

Take-Two Interactive has repeatedly reassured investors that Grand Theft Auto 6 is still on track for its planned release later this fall.

However, the rest of the industry aren't quite so convinced. Rockstar Games has a history of pushing back launch dates for their blockbuster titles. It happened to Grand Theft Auto 5 in 2012 and Red Dead Redemption 2. It isn't so crazy to think that Rockstar could do the same with GTA 6 and leave the explaining to investors to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.

With that said, talks of a potential delay is already forcing publishers to think of contingency plans, with several publishers reportedly scrambling to adjust their strategies.

In the same report where The Game Business' Christopher Dring shared an interesting statistic between Grand Theft Auto Online and Roblox, Dring brought up the possibility of Nintendo benefitting from what could be the worst-case scenario for others.

The Japanese gaming giant is set to launch the next Nintendo Switch console this holiday season. If Rockstar pushes GTA 6 back, it would give Nintendo a much clearer path to dominate the market during this crucial period.

Without the competition from a multi-billion-dollar title like GTA 6, Nintendo could potentially see a significant boost in sales and market share, quickly establishing the Nintendo Switch 2 as a major player within its first three months on the market.

It's no secret that a GTA 6 delay to 2026 could create a logistical nightmare for everyone else in the gaming industry. Many have already locked in their release schedules for 2025, and a last-minute shuffle to avoid competing with the juggernaut that is GTA could prove challenging, if not impossible. Can you imagine moving out of GTA 6's way twice if not thrice? This is one of the points that Ben Porter, director of consulting at games industry intelligence firm Newzoo, tried to make at GDC 2025.

Countless content creators, streamers, and even non-gaming companies are gearing up for the massive influx of interest around GTA 6's release. Adin Ross, for example, is planning to launch a GTA 6 server with cryptocurrency. Although ambitious, his is just one of many. What happens when GTA 6 doesn't come out when they're expecting it?

TLDR; everyone has invested valuable time, money, and resources into preparing for GTA 6 and a delay could throw such plans into disarray.

This entire situation is made worse by the frustrating but understandable tight-lipped nature of Rockstar. Known for their secretive approach to video game development, the studio has released very little official information about GTA 6 outside of confirming the September 2022 leaks and releasing its first trailer. This has left fans to speculate based on rumors, creating a void of concrete information that's only adding to the anxiety and uncertainty surrounding the game's release.

From console manufacturers to publishers, retailers, such as those in Malaysia and Switzerland who have already begun accepting pre-orders, to content creators, everyone is on the lookout for the next GTA 6 update.

Fingers crossed, we'll be getting official news about GTA 6 before the next Take-Two earnings call in May.