After GTA 6 Delay, 2025 Becomes “The Year Of Nintendo,” Analyst Says

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI was poised to be 2025’s biggest and best-selling game, but it was delayed to 2026. With GTA 6 no longer coming this year, 2025 may become “the year of Nintendo” thanks to the launch of the Switch 2 in June and the release of high-profile games like Mario Kart World. That’s the opinion of analyst Serkan Toto of Kantan Games.

He told GamesRadar that publishers who were planning to release their new games in the second half of 2025 but hadn’t confirmed a date yet are now “probably breathing a sigh of relief now.”

Sony also benefits, Toto said, referring to its marquee title Ghost of Yotei now being able to release “in peace.” Even Microsoft may benefit by launching its new Xbox handheld device into a market where people aren’t otherwise occupied playing GTA 6, Toto said.

“2025 will clearly be the year of Nintendo now,” Toto explained.

Joost van Dreunen, for his part, said GTA 6’s delay means that big publishers like EA, Ubisoft, and Sony now have a better chance of “commanding attention during a window that would have otherwise been swallowed whole. It’s an opportunity.”

However, van Dreunen acknowledged that had GTA 6 launched on time in Fall 2025, it could have created a “cultural moment” that may have drawn back lapsed gamers who might end up buying other games, too. This could have benefited many games, he said.

A new Call of Duty game is expected to come out this year, too, and now it won’t have to compete with GTA 6. The next Battlefield game, too, is possibly going to release this year.

As for GTA 6, it’s officially set for release on May 26, 2026 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Naturally, it’s expected to be a gigantic success when it releases.