Studios Shift Release Dates to Sidestep Grand Theft Auto 6

Numerous game studios have moved their release dates to a different month to avoid clashing with Grand Theft Auto 6. Some are treating the crowded calendar as a chance rather than a problem.

A release date is the day a game becomes available to buy and play. Big releases tend to draw most of the attention in their weeks, so smaller studios often try to keep clear of them. Video Games Chronicle spoke to several of the studios involved.

Dream Dock is the studio behind Dreadmoor, a first-person fishing survival horror game. In first-person games, the player sees the world through the character's own eyes. A Dream Dock spokesperson said Grand Theft Auto 6 had "bulldozer-cut down the November release schedule." The studio, however, sees the situation "as an opportunity."

Auroch Digital is also taking the crowded calendar in its stride. Lead marketing manager Will Flanagan said more than 500,000 people had added Warhammer Survivors to their wishlists. A wishlist is a list players save on a digital storefront, the online shop where games are sold, to track a title before it launches.

Sonic Pico Park is a co-op platformer, a game in which several players work together through levels built around jumping and movement. Its producer, Shintaro Shimazu, said he had discussed with SEGA President Utsumi releasing the game before Black Friday. The aim was to let people play it over the holiday season.

Japanese publication GameSpark interviewed 46 developers and publishers from around the world about releasing games close to Grand Theft Auto 6. Their answers show a range of approaches, from moving dates to holding firm and pitching against the bigger release.

For players, the practical result is a busier schedule of new games in the coming weeks. Studios that moved their dates have stated their reasons, and the new launch windows are the key details for anyone planning what to buy.