For gamers, GTA VI is likely one of the, if not, the most hyped releases of 2025, if it is still coming out this year. However, for publishers with their own major titles, Rockstar Games’ open-world behemoth is nothing short of a nightmare. With its overwhelming popularity, few would dare to compete directly with its launch, and that is something that EA is taking into account with the new Battlefield.
At least, that’s the sentiment expressed by EA’s CEO, Andrew Wilson, who said so during a financial report to investors. He openly acknowledged that EA will ensure their flagship game releases, especially the next Battlefield, are appropriately timed, meaning they will avoid launching close to what is expected to be the biggest release of the year: GTA VI.
Although Wilson did not explicitly mention the game by name, he stated that he believes 2025 will be a highly competitive year. It is still early, but there is always the looming shadow of GTA VI, and that is always worth considering when profits are dropping, and the players seem to be getting fatigued.
“I do believe that this year might be a nuanced year relative to competition,” Wilson shared. “There may be some things happening in the year that may cause us to think differently about our launch timing.”
This decision is crucial because EA has invested a massive amount of resources into this new Battlefield instalment, aiming to make it the biggest one ever developed. As a result, there is a need to carefully determine the appropriate release window to ensure the game shines. This also means being prepared to adjust their plans if the initially chosen release window turns out to be less than ideal.
As of now, EA plans to release the new, yet-untitled Battlefield before April 2026. Meanwhile, Rockstar Games has only mentioned a Fall release window for GTA VI, with no further details provided.
