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

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

Between the Perfect Dark reboot, Doom: The Dark Ages and Fable, almost all of the big hitters were given a vague 2025 release date or nothing at all – suggesting that many of the titles shown 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 gaming content, highlighted the reasons why there have been 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 coming out sometime next year.

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

While acknowledging the looming presence of GTA 6 as a factor, he also explained how they want to avoid stepping on their own feet when it comes to releasing the first party.

“For us, I think it’s about making sure we don’t step on each other,” he added. “We’ve got a pretty big portfolio, we’ve got a pretty big lineup going into the fall and into the spring, and we definitely want to make sure that every game gets space and gets a chance to shine. And we don’t end up overshadowing one game by launching it too close to another.

“So leaving the actual months and days of the month open is just as much about looking ahead and making sure we’re doing the right planning so we don’t get in our own way.

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

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

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

Although most expect Nintendo’s console to come out relatively early next year, there’s almost no way to estimate when GTA 6 might be out – though a fall launch is probably the most likely, without any other information.

It’s unclear whether Microsoft knows when GTA 6 will be released, but it certainly wouldn’t be surprising, and Booty’s comments can be read that way.