The delay of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) until May 26, 2026, has sent shockwaves through the gaming industry, and veteran analyst Mat Piscatella is warning that it’s bad news for this year. In an interview with GamesRadar+, Piscatella expressed his concern that the delay will significantly impact the industry’s spending on gaming hardware, accessories, and content.
According to Piscatella, GTA 6 was expected to be a major driver of success in the holiday season and would have brought back relapsed players to consoles, generating incremental hardware sales. The delay means that gamers who were eagerly awaiting the game will now spend their money elsewhere, rather than on gaming-related products this year.
As a result, Piscatella is now expecting total spending in the US on gaming hardware, accessories, and content to fall in the mid-single-digit percentage range, with spending dropping to its lowest level since before the pandemic. This decline in spending is further exacerbated by the recent Xbox price hike, which has created “nightmare scenario territory” for the video game industry.
Mat Piscatella’s comments highlight the significant impact that GTA 6’s delay will have on the industry’s financial performance this year. With major games like GTA 6 pushing back their release dates, investors may lose interest in the segment, leading to a decline in investor interest and further downward pressure on spending.
Source: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/grand-theft-auto/i-dont-think-anyone-benefits-in-2025-from-this-gta-6-delay-is-bad-news-for-the-games-industry-analyst-says-adding-to-nightmare-scenario-territory-following-xbox-price-hike