2025 is shaping up to be an epic year for triple-A video games. With the much-anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its exclusive titles, the gaming world is buzzing. But that's just the beginning. Later in 2025, gamers can look forward to a lineup of heavy hitters including Borderlands 4, Mafia: The Old Country, and Ghost of Yōtei. And, as always, Activision is expected to drop a new Call of Duty game in October or November.
However, the real game-changer is Rockstar's highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, slated for a fall 2025 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. While Take-Two remains committed to this timeline, the possibility of a delay looms large, especially with so many other major releases crowding the calendar. This uncertainty could pose a significant challenge for EA's upcoming Battlefield title.
EA has scheduled the next Battlefield for its 2026 fiscal year, meaning a release before April 2026. This window overlaps with the expected launch of GTA 6, and potentially with Call of Duty and Borderlands 4. In a competitive market, timing is everything. EA CEO Andrew Wilson acknowledged the importance of considering competitors' release dates during a recent financial call, hinting that EA might even delay Battlefield if necessary.
"Certainly, we exist in a competitive marketplace," Wilson stated. "I've had the great fortune to be in this company for 25 years and we have done a great job of competing with all of our great franchises over time. That being said, we've invested more in this Battlefield than any Battlefield before. We have four studios. We've had a meaningful amount of time. We're looking for this to be the biggest Battlefield we've ever made. And we of course want to make sure that we launch that into a window where we can deliver on the fullness of the promise of what Battlefield can be and grow the community to a level that is commensurate with the size of the game that we're making."
Wilson continued, "I do believe that this year might be a nuanced year relative to competition. There may be some things happening in the year that may cause us to think differently about our launch timing. We have an FY 26 launch window that the team is targeting. We believe the game will be great and ready at that time, but if we got close to that timeframe and believed that this wasn't going to be a great window for us, then we would take a look at what an alternate window might be that would give us the appropriate time, energy, and player acquisition opportunity for this Battlefield to be all that it needed to be."
99 Details in the GTA 6 Trailer - Slideshow
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Currently, the new Battlefield is set to release before April 2026. Assuming a November 2025 launch, similar to previous titles like Battlefield 2042 and Battlefield 5, what if GTA 6 also hits the shelves around the same time? EA might consider pushing Battlefield back to the first quarter of 2026, still within its fiscal year.
But what if EA already plans a Q1 2026 release, and then Rockstar delays GTA 6 to the same period? EA could potentially move Battlefield up or, alternatively, delay it beyond the fiscal year. Wilson's comments suggest that EA is prepared to make such strategic decisions.
It's clear why EA, along with many other third-party publishers, are on tenterhooks awaiting Rockstar's announcement of the GTA 6 release date. Once that's revealed, whether it's for fall 2025 as planned or delayed into 2026, the entire industry will adjust accordingly.
