Helldivers 2 Developer Has a Warning About a Very Popular Upcoming Game

Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to be a global hit, but that might be a real problem for the rest of the gaming industry. While GTA Online has kept the series thriving with gamers, a formal sequel to 2013’s GTA 5 has been in the works for a while. Especially in light of the game’s connection to the franchise’s past and the stature of Rockstar’s other releases like Red Dead Redemption 2, even announcements of its delays can dominate a news cycle.

While that may seem at first glance like a promising development for the gaming industry, it also poses a unique risk to business at large. A hit of GTA 6‘s magnitude may overwhelm the competition, and it could even inadvertently doom potential competitors. Even industry heads know it. If publishers aren’t careful, they could end up so overshadowed by Rockstar’s next title that they never get the chance to step back into the sun.

GTA 6 Is Going To Be Too Big A Hit

Grand Theft Auto 6 may be one of gaming’s most anticipated titles, but its success could end up seriously impacting the entire industry. During an interview with The Game Business, Arrowhead Game Studios CEO Shams Jorjani bluntly described the GTA 6 delay as a “stay of execution.” According to the Helldivers 2 studio head, the release of the long-awaited Rockstar sequel will “blot out the sun in a way unimaginable for everyone else.” He’s not wrong, either.

Grand Theft Auto 6 has become one of the most anticipated gaming releases in recent memory, with projections suggesting that it could earn upwards of $1 billion in the first year of release alone. The game comes not just with expectations surrounding Rockstar’s stellar track record and questions over a potential legal battle with former employees, but it’s also the return of one of gaming’s most successful franchises. Ever since Grand Theft Auto 3, the franchise has been recognized as the golden standard in the industry, with each major release becoming a defining title in its respective era.

With over a decade having passed since GTA 5 came out, the return of the series is a unique event in modern gaming. Even legends of the industry like Hideo Kojima don’t want to compete with the release of GTA 6. While this does speak to the sheer level of excitement across the general gaming audience for the game, it also highlights what might be a real challenge for the industry as a whole: the success of GTA 6 is going to overwhelm any other title — and in an era of unexpected studio closures, where one mis-timed flop could stall out a franchise or doom a developer, that’s a very real concern.

GTA 6’s Success Could Bring Down Competition At A Crucial Time

One of the primary concerns for developers in recent months has been GTA 6‘s potential release window. Every studio is looking to avoid competing with the game, but multiple delays have thrown off release schedules or forced a rush in development. It’s exciting that the game has garnered that much of the gaming public and the broader global audience in general, but it’s also a potential meteor that’s going to overtake the industry and risk leaving a crater beneath any other titles that have the bad luck of launching around it.

The gaming industry is already in a volatile place. Companies like Microsoft expect record returns for their AAA releases, with an ever-expanding marketplace constantly competing for attention and sales. Even major developers like Amazon will cancel planned epics, while studios like Sony will discontinue Concord almost immediately after a stumbling launch. GTA 6 will likely do amazing numbers for Rockstar, but none of that is going to go elsewhere into the larger industry. If the game proves to have as much longevity as other titles in the series, it could steal all the oxygen in the room from other studios.

It’s hard to imagine what games could try to compete with the next GTA game, and that may become a serious problem. GTA 6 could prove to be such a dominant force, other titles might suffer big losses to their player base. This, in turn, could sink any other releases in the weeks and potentially even months afterwards. Given the cost and scale of most AAA releases, it might lead to companies and investors leaving the industry for other opportunities, further shaking up an already tenuous business.

GTA 6 is going to be a smash hit for Rockstar, and there’s no doubt it’s going to shake up the gaming releases for a while. Even free-to-play games that rely on steady and consistent player engagement may suffer from the attention that the return to Vice City draws in. While players have plenty to be excited about with the return of the GTA series, there’s also a very real chance that the industry is going to take a serious hit in the process.

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