2026 is about to be a big year for the gaming industry, particularly because of one goliath-sized game finally being released (I hope). GTA 6’s new release date has been announced, and as it makes its rounds around forums, things aren’t looking too great for several other major titles. Rockstar has announced that GTA 6 is expected to drop on November 19, 2026. And some games are definitely going to be affected by that.
Mid-November is right in the middle of the holiday season, one of the most profitable release windows for the gaming industry. With one of the biggest titles in gaming being released dead-centre, it’s bound to impact other titles planning to release around the same time. Contesting with 2025’s “Most Anticipated Game of the Year” isn’t something developers look forward to. Let’s take a look at which titles will be most affected by this.
The Elder Scrolls VI
The Elder Scrolls VI is also one of the most anticipated games of 2026, and probably the biggest competitor to GTA 6. However, I highly doubt it’s going to make a difference, considering the current hype around GTA 6. The Elder Scrolls VI doesn’t have a finalised release date yet, but Bethesda was looking at something around the final quarter.
The highly-awaited RPG game is developed by a massive AAA studio, Bethesda Game Studios, and is part of an iconic series that had its last iteration back in 2011. As players still talk about The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the interest around it hasn’t died yet. Now, we’ll have to see if Bethesda wants to risk going with a late-2026 release date, a move that could seriously tank sales. Or push the release date back by a few months to allow GTA 6’s initial hype to fade away.
Forza Horizon 6
Sports is another major genre that is set to be affected by GTA 6’s new release date. Forza Horizon 6, a racing sim developed by Playground Games, was expected to release somewhere in the second half of 2026. The last iteration in the series came back in 2021 when Forza Horizon 5 was launched, so you can expect racing fans aren’t going to be too happy about this.
For now, we haven’t gotten confirmation on a fixed release date for the racing simulation. We might just see Xbox Games Studios go for a late 2026 release and hope for the best. There were also speculations of the game getting pushed up into the second quarter to avoid conflicting with GTA 6, but there hasn’t been an official comment on it just yet.
Marvel’s Wolverine
This next game isn’t a stranger to most, especially Marvel fans. Marvel’s Wolverine is set to come out in Fall 2026; however, a fixed date has not been announced. But one does wonder how well it will be able to do with GTA 6 planned to release just a few months later, maybe even less.
Marvel’s Wolverine is an action-adventure game, most probably similar to the Spiderman series. It is set in the open world, where players can explore and do side quests on their own behest. This adds another issue to the mix: GTA 6 is also an open-world adventure game. This means fans of the same genre might have to choose between picking one or the other. And if the choice really comes down to it, I don’t like Wolverine’s chances against this juggernaut.
Madden 27
The sports genre rarely deviates from its fixed schedule of yearly releases; however, this time might be different. Madden 27 doesn’t have a confirmed date as of yet, but looking at past releases, it’s bound to be around the mid-to-late August period. This is also because the games correlate with the sport in real time, so changing release dates becomes that much detrimental.
EA Sports might have to reconsider the release window if they want the game to do well. With yearly releases, players are already concerned about a lack of new content, and with people leaning more towards GTA 6, it could very well be the final nail in the coffin.
Resident Evil Requiem
Not all games will be affected the same, and Resident Evil Requiem is one game that will be saved from the brunt of it. The next iteration in the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil Requiem, is set to release on February 27, 2026. This is a pretty good date since it’s far before GTA 6’s release, and in hindsight, a very good decision on the publisher’s part.
The game can freely market itself without losing out on its player base or attraction. Still, we’ll need to see how well the game does since some demographic of gamers might still decide to opt out in favour of GTA 6. I hope there aren’t any delays in the release as well, since any day closer to GTA 6 could decrease sales exponentially.
NBA 2K27
The final entry for today is another game from the sports genre, NBA 2k27. While Madden 27 is expected to have a mid-August release, NBA 2k27 has pushed it further into September. Now, similar to Madden 27, NBA 2k27 is scheduled with the season, so pushing the release date is quite difficult. Add on top of this that NBA 2k26 had several issues players complained about, meaning not a lot of players will be thrilled to buy the new iteration.
There is one silver lining for the game, and that is pre-orders. If NBA 2k27 can get enough people buying the game before launch, that could stabilise sales. However, they’ll need some top-tier marketing and need to garner popularity fast as the date approaches. For now, we don’t know if there will be a change in the release date, but it might be for the best.
