Xbox is trying to avoid GTA 6 release date next year, Microsoft says

If you’re wondering why Microsoft gave so many vague release dates during the Xbox Games Showcase, it looks like GTA 6 is partly to blame.

While the Xbox Games Showcase was perhaps the best presentation during this year’s replacement E3 season, its main drawback was the lack of clarity around release dates.

Between the Perfect Dark reboot, Doom: The Dark Ages and Fable, almost all the major players were given a vague release date of 2025 or nothing at all – suggesting that many of the titles shown could still be several years away.

While Microsoft has a knack for announcing projects earlier than most, an interview with Matt Booty, Xbox’s president of gaming content, highlighted the reasons why there were so few concrete release dates this time around.

During an interview with Variety’s Strictly Business podcast, Booty was asked if the lack of release dates was due to GTA 6, which is expected to release sometime next year.

“I think many in the industry will of course be making plans around GTA 6, and we’re all looking forward to that game, which should be great,” Booty replied.

While he acknowledged GTA 6’s looming presence as a factor, he also explained how they wanted to avoid stepping on their own toes when it comes to first party releases.

“For us, I think it’s equally important to make sure we don’t step on ourselves,” he added. “We’ve got a pretty big portfolio, we’ve got a pretty big lineup for the fall and spring, and we definitely want to make sure that every game gets its space and its chance to shine. And we don’t overshadow one game by launching it too close to another.

“So if we leave the actual months and days of the month open, that’s as much to do with us looking ahead and making sure we do the right planning so we don’t get into trouble. way.

“Certainly, everyone in the industry wants to make sure we don’t end up in the shadow of someone else’s big release, but we just have to keep our options open.”

After acquiring Activision Blizzard, Microsoft now needs a huge number of studios to juggle, between id Software, MachineGames, Bethesda Game Studios – along with the studios it previously acquired, such as Ninja Theory, Double Fine and Playground Games. .

This, combined with GTA 6, could explain the recent reports surrounding the release date of Gears Of War: E-Day, which was originally slated to release before Fable in 2025 but currently has no release date at all – suggesting this would be possible. now be 2026.

Along with Rockstar’s epic, Microsoft may also be trying to avoid Nintendo’s next console, which is also expected to release sometime next year.

While most expect Nintendo’s console to release relatively early next year, it’s virtually impossible to guess when GTA 6 will release – although a fall launch is probably the most likely, without any additional information.

Whether Microsoft knows when GTA 6 will be released is unclear, but it certainly wouldn’t be surprising and Booty’s comments can be read as such.

To expand

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