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

While the Xbox Games Showcase was arguably the best presentation during the alternate E3 season this year, the main downside was the lack of clarity on release dates.

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

While Microsoft has a knack for announcing projects earlier than most, an interview with Matt Booty, Xbox’s president of game content, has 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 launch sometime next year.

“I think many across the industry will certainly be planning around GTA 6, and we’re all looking forward to that game, which should be amazing,” Booty replied.

While he acknowledged the potential presence of GTA 6 as a factor, he also explained how they wanted to avoid stepping on their heels when it comes to first-party releases.

“For us, I think it’s as much about making sure we don’t trip over ourselves,” he added. “We’ve got a pretty big portfolio, we’ve got a pretty big lineup through the fall and spring, and of course we want to make sure that every game is given space and an opportunity to shine. And we don’t end up overshadowing one game by launching it too close to another.

So when we leave open the actual months and days of the completed month, it’s as much about us looking ahead and making sure we’re doing the right planning so we don’t get caught up in ourselves. way.

“Of course everyone in the industry wants to make sure we don’t get overshadowed by someone else’s big release, but we just have to keep our options open.”

After acquiring Activision Blizzard, Microsoft now has a slew of studios to juggle, including id Software, MachineGames, Bethesda Game Studios — along with previously acquired studios like Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Playground. Games. .

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

Although most expect Nintendo’s console to be released relatively early next year, there’s almost no way to guess when GTA 6 might come out — though 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 that way.