Could GTA 6 delay impact growth of gaming economy?

The GTA 6 delay announcement was not only a blow for Grand Theft Auto fans but also for the gaming industry as a whole. According to a recent report published by Deccan Chronicle, the upcoming game’s delay has impacted the growth of the video game market globally. The media outlet cited an exclusive report by Newzoo as its source.

Nonetheless, the GTA 6 delay has remarkably impacted this year's market growth. However, it is expected to get better next year.

Note: Aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

GTA 6 delay reportedly slows down the growth of gaming economy

On June 18, 2025, Deccan Chronicle published an article stating that the GTA 6 delay announcement caused the video gaming industry to “grow marginally” in 2025 compared to 2024.

Industry experts initially expected exponential growth in the video gaming market after the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. However, the following reasons caused the growth to be slower and marginal:

GTA 6 delay
New tariff charges
Video game hardware became costlier
Less consumer spending

Do note that the gaming industry will still grow despite the GTA 6 delay and other reasons. However, the increment in growth may not be as expected. Deccan Chronicle stated that the video game market would grow by 3.4% in 2025, reaching a net value of $188.9 billion. It also stated that last year's growth was 3.2%.

Also read: 5 reasons the cancelled GTA 6 script might’ve worked

The gaming industry is expected to grow after the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. The highly anticipated title is currently scheduled to release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on May 26, 2026. Unless Rockstar Games announces another GTA 6 delay, we can expect the market to boom as soon as the pre-orders begin.

It is worth noting that the GTA 6 PC release can also potentially grow the gaming market in the future. Unfortunately, Rockstar Games has yet to make an official announcement about it. However, considering the studio’s previous practices, we can expect the PC version of the game in 2027-28.

During that period, we can hope to see the remarkable growth of the gaming economy again.

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About the author

Mridul completed his post-graduation in Mass Communication, Journalism, and Media Studies. His career as a journalist began at Sportskeeda, and he has been associated with the Esports & Gaming division for over 1.5 years. He has produced 1600+ articles on Grand Theft Auto, his favorite gaming franchise of all time.

Mridul writes detailed and well-researched articles, relying solely on official sources and reputable insiders for credible information. His immense love for the GTA series shines through in his work, which resonates with readers, with five of his articles having crossed the 100,000 reads mark each. Overall, his reads count stands at close to 8 million.

GTA: Vice City served as Mridul's introduction to Rockstar Games, and he has dedicatedly made his way through the publisher's catalog since then. If given a chance, he would love to drop into the world of Bully and relive his school days. However, he would like to recommend Grand Theft Auto 4 to beginners due to the depth of its narrative and in-game mechanics.

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Edited by Ripunjay Gaba