- Teaser image courtesy of Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive

GTA 6’s Delay Is Shifting the Entire Industry—Even Kojima’s Death Stranding 2

Originally posted on Total Apex Gaming | By Mollie Dominy | Last updated May 7, 2025 10:06 AM ET

Looks like Devolver Digital isn’t the only one rethinking their calendar. Hideo Kojima, the legendary mind behind Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, has confirmed what many of us suspected—Grand Theft Auto 6’s 2026 release date is shaking up the industry, even affecting the timeline of Death Stranding 2, another highly anticipated game (if Kojima’s breath easier you know it’s big!).

In a translated post shared by Genki_JPN on X, Kojima explained that GTA 6’s launch window is so influential, studios are actively dodging it like it’s a nuclear blast. According to Kojima, as soon as Rockstar even hints at a release month—say, November—you can bet other publishers are already making a quick exit.

“Everyone Moves Out of the Way”

Hideo Kojima says when publishers decide the release date for games like Death Stranding 2 they try avoid big sellers like Grand Theft Auto VI! via @koji10_tbs

“For example some are saying GTA may or may not release in November. As soon as it would be announced for November,… pic.twitter.com/RxQfcXaXRV

— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) May 7, 2025

Kojima didn’t mince words. He compared GTA 6’s launch power to a hypothetical new Mission: Impossible movie dropping in May:

“Others wouldn’t be able to compete with that and would move somewhere else.”

Replace Tom Cruise with Rockstar, and yeah—same energy.

It turns out Kojima originally had September 2025 circled for Death Stranding 2. But with GTA 6 potentially looming over the fall season, the team likely pushed back the release to avoid getting completely overshadowed. Makes sense. It’s hard to sell haunting beach babies and Norman Reedus shower scenes when GTA is sucking up all the oxygen.

Good News for 2025 Lineup?

There’s a silver lining here. With GTA 6 officially pushed to May 2026, many studios—especially mid-tier publishers—now have breathing room to reclaim the spotlight in late 2025. That means we might see a stacked Summer Game Fest, with devs feeling more confident to drop firm dates for games that were otherwise in limbo.

And this whole scenario? It just shows how unmatched Grand Theft Auto 6 truly is in terms of fan expectation and influence. The game doesn’t even need a trailer drop to move the release calendars of billion-dollar publishers. Just the small announcement of a delayed release had the other devs breathing a sigh of relief for the breathing room.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Gaming and was syndicated with permission.

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