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GRAND THEFT AUTO 6 HAS BEEN DELAYED TO MAY 2026, AND IT COULD CAUSE A HUGE DROP IN ANTICIPATED SPENDING IN THE GAMES INDUSTRY, RISING TO MORE THAN $2.5 BILLION DOLLARS 13:03, 21 May 2025 GTA

6 was recently delayed to May 2026, meaning we're now around a year away from the most anticipated game in history. While it had been tipped to 'save' the video games

industry, the cost of its delay could be colossal for the video game industry, according to a new report from Ampere Analysis (via Gamespot). With Grand Theft Auto 6 reportedly having been

in development for years, publishers had been keeping release dates close to their chest until they knew what Rockstar was planning. While those same rivals will breathe a sigh of relief for

their 2025 plans, the fallout of the delay could have huge ramifications. GTA 6 DELAY MAY HAVE COST VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY $2.7 BILLION Ampere's data suggests that Grand Theft Auto 6

being nudged to 2026 would mean a big drop in console sales for casual games eager to check out Rockstar's epic, with Sony reportedly nabbing the marketing rights to the huge title.

Article continues below Ampere dubbed 2025's Holiday period a "vacuum" without GTA 6, and suggested that Nintendo could be poised to capitalise with its Switch 2 launching in

June and likely gaining momentum until the end of the year. Given GTA 6 is expected to rack up billions in revenue when it does learn, the hope will be that it'll raise the profile of

the games industry again, which has been through thousands of layoffs in recent years following a spike in popularity during the COVID pandemic. Ampere suggests the industry will grow by

around 1% in 2025, but that's likely to hit 2.2% in 2026 thanks to GTA 6. The company's Piers Harding-Rolls said a lack of new monetisation strategies or meaningful tech advances

means the industry is "looking for pockets of growth to exploit and to build content more efficiently and at lower cost." At the time of the delay, Rockstar's statement said:

"We are very sorry this is later than you expected." "The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to

thank you for your support and your patience as we work to finish the game." Article continues below "With every game we have released, the goal has always been to try and exceed

your expectations, and Grand Theft Auto VI is no exception. We hope you understand that we need this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve." For more on

GTA 6, check out how fans have put together an incredible interactive map with more than 100 locations. _FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS AND STORIES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE FROM THE DAILY STAR,

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