GTA 6’s Release Date Power: How Rockstar’s Mega-Launch Has Reshaped 2025 Game Schedules

The mere whisper of Grand Theft Auto VI’s release date is enough to make the entire gaming industry hold its breath. With Rockstar’s juggernaut now officially delayed to 26 May 2026, the aftershocks are still rippling through the calendars of major publishers – and even titans like Hideo Kojima aren’t immune.

GTA 6’s Influence: Why Death Stranding 2 and Others Are Dodging Its Shadow

It’s rare to see a game so anticipated that other studios scramble to avoid its orbit, but GTA 6’s gravitational pull is no joke. Kojima Productions, among many, has openly shifted its plans to steer clear of Rockstar’s next megahit. Even without a locked-in date until recently, the specter of GTA 6 had publishers rearranging release windows – and now, with the game moving into 2026, the landscape is changing yet again.

• GTA 6’s release moved to 26 May 2026, opening up late 2025 for other games.
• Kojima Productions advanced Death Stranding 2 to June 2025 to avoid a GTA 6 clash.
• Industry-wide, publishers are shifting schedules to dodge Rockstar’s juggernaut.
• Uncertainty remains for early 2026 as studios watch Rockstar’s next moves.

Key Takeaways:

Feature	Specification
Publisher	Rockstar Games
Release Date	26 May 2026
Genres	Action-Adventure, Open World
Platforms	PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S

Hideo Kojima recently pulled back the curtain on this delicate dance in an episode of A Hideo Kojima Radio. He explained how the mere possibility of a late-2025 GTA 6 launch had forced Kojima Productions to move Death Stranding 2: On The Beach up to 26 June 2025-well before Rockstar’s original timeline. Kojima summed it up bluntly: “For example, some are saying GTA may or may not release in November. As soon as it would be announced for November, everyone would back off.” That level of market power is almost unheard of outside blockbuster film launches.

Ironically, Rockstar’s recent delay has now freed up the coveted holiday 2025 window, just as studios were finalizing their evacuation plans. Some, like Kojima Productions, are likely too far along to revert course, but others may seize this unexpected breathing room. For smaller studios and AA devs, this gap could be a golden opportunity — or just a temporary reprieve before the next blockbuster lands.

What’s truly remarkable is that Rockstar managed to disrupt the industry with little more than rumor and reputation. Few games, if any, can force global publishers to hedge billions in development budgets based on a single unconfirmed month. It almost echoes the box-office bravado of cinema blockbusters, where entire studios avoid opening weekends dominated by the likes of Marvel or Star Wars.

But with GTA 6 now set for late May 2026, the question for industry-watchers and players alike becomes: Who will take advantage of the newly opened lanes in late 2025 — and which studios will be nervously circling their wagons for the inevitable next big move by Rockstar?

TL;DR: GTA 6’s shifting release date has forced major industry players like Hideo Kojima to rethink their launch plans, with Death Stranding 2 and other titles dodging the Rockstar juggernaut. Now, with GTA 6 officially coming 26 May 2026, late 2025 is wide open for the brave — but the game of calendar chess continues.

Source: Rockstar Games via GamesPress