Video game makers shift releases to avoid 'GTA VI'

Eagerly awaited blockbuster is set to arrive over 13 years after GTA V

PARIS:

Video game publishers are reshuffling release schedules to avoid getting run over by feverishly anticipated "Grand Theft Auto VI", as a crowded autumn line-up takes shape, industry players said at an annual gaming event Friday.

The Summer Games Fest in Los Angeles highlighted dozens of upcoming titles while underscoring the market impact of Rockstar Games' next instalment, due on November 19 after two delays.

GTA VI is the eighth main entry in the blockbuster franchise, and set to arrive more than 13 years after GTA V, the second best-selling video game in history.

Publishers are steering clear of the final months of 2026, traditionally a peak sales period, to avoid competing with what is expected to be the year's dominant product -- and potentially the biggest entertainment launch of all time.

Titles including "Wolverine", "Silent Hill: Townfall" and "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve" are among more than a dozen major games expected in September, while "Star Wars Zero Company" is set for August 27.

"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4" will launch on October 23, just weeks before GTA VI -- a slot widely seen as the outer limit for avoiding direct competition.

That window is "frequently cited as the latest you can release a game and not get sucked into that Rockstar black hole", said Christopher Dring, founder of specialist outlet The Game Business.

GTA VI will be the "biggest premium release which will gather huge amount of attention and engagement that will likely last until at least the new year", consultancy firm Ampere Analysis said in a report.

The Summer Games Fest, hosted by Geoff Keighley after conferences led by Sony and ahead of Microsoft's showcase, unveiled several major titles on Friday, including "Final Fantasy VII Revelation", due in spring 2027.

A remake of "Resident Evil: Code Veronica", first released in 2000, is also slated for 2027, titled "Resident Evil Veronica", reflecting the industry's continued reliance on established franchises.

Beyond release schedules, the event showcased new projects, including "1666 Amsterdam" by Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Desilets and "Gen Atlas" from Japanese designer Fumito Ueda.

Rockstar Games began preliminary work on Grand Theft Auto VI in 2014 after Grand Theft Auto V's release, with early development starting in late 2018 following Red Dead Redemption 2. Principal production began in 2020, code-named Project Americas. Jason Schreier reported the game was "a moderately sized release" that would expand over time to avoid its predecessors' developer crunch, and that it would feature two Bonnie and Clyde–inspired protagonists, including a Latina, and "a significant online mode" akin to Grand Theft Auto Online. AFP