2025 is shaping up to be an epic year for triple-A video games, with a lineup that promises to thrill gamers everywhere. The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, along with its exclusive titles, is just the beginning. Later in the year, we'll see major releases like *Borderlands 4*, *Mafia: The Old Country*, and *Ghost of Yōtei*. And, of course, we can't forget the annual blockbuster from Activision, the new *Call of Duty*, expected to hit shelves in October or November.
However, the real showstopper is undoubtedly Rockstar's *Grand Theft Auto 6*, slated for a fall 2025 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. While Take-Two, Rockstar's parent company, is holding firm to this timeline, there's always the looming possibility of a delay. This uncertainty, coupled with the intense competition from other major titles, poses a significant challenge for EA's next *Battlefield* game.
EA has penciled in the next *Battlefield* for its 2026 fiscal year, meaning a release before April 2026. This window overlaps with the anticipated launch of *GTA 6*, as well as potential releases for *Call of Duty* and *Borderlands 4*. So, how much do competing game release dates influence EA's decision on when to launch *Battlefield*?
According to EA CEO Andrew Wilson, quite a bit. In a recent financial call, he acknowledged the competitive landscape and hinted that EA might be open to delaying *Battlefield* if necessary. Wilson emphasized the significant investment in this upcoming *Battlefield* title, involving four studios and extensive development time, aiming to make it the biggest *Battlefield* yet. He stressed the importance of launching in a window that maximizes the game's potential and community growth.
"Certainly we exist in a competitive marketplace," Wilson remarked. "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 also noted the unique challenges of 2025's competitive landscape, suggesting that EA might adjust the launch timing if needed. "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. If we assume a November 2025 launch (following the pattern of *Battlefield 2042* in November 2021 and *Battlefield 5* in November 2018), and *GTA 6* launches around the same time, EA might consider pushing *Battlefield* to the first quarter of 2026, still within its fiscal year.
But what if EA already plans to release *Battlefield* in Q1 2026, and then Rockstar announces a delay for *GTA 6* to the same period? Could EA move *Battlefield* forward? Or perhaps delay it further, out of the fiscal year and into the next? Such a move would be significant, but Wilson's comments suggest that EA is prepared to make these kinds of strategic adjustments.
It's clear why EA, and indeed many other third-party publishers, are anxiously awaiting Rockstar's announcement of the *GTA 6* release date. Once that date is set, whether for fall 2025 as planned or delayed into 2026, the entire industry's release calendar will likely fall into place.
