EA Delays Battlefield to Avoid GTA 6 Clash

2025 is shaping up to be an epic year for triple-A video games, with a lineup that promises to keep gamers glued to their screens. Not only are we eagerly anticipating the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its exclusive titles, but we're also looking forward to a slew of major releases later in the year. Titles like Borderlands 4, Mafia: The Old Country, and Ghost of Yōtei are on the horizon, alongside the ever-reliable new Call of Duty from Activision, expected to hit shelves in October or November.

However, the crown jewel of 2025's releases is undoubtedly Grand Theft Auto 6 from Rockstar Games, slated for a fall release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. While Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, remains committed to this timeline, the looming possibility of a delay adds a layer of uncertainty. This uncertainty, combined with the crowded field of other major releases, poses a significant challenge for EA's upcoming Battlefield game.

EA has scheduled the next Battlefield for its 2026 fiscal year, which ends in April 2026. This window overlaps with the anticipated release of GTA 6, and potentially with Call of Duty and Borderlands 4. The question then arises: how much does EA need to consider the release dates of these competing titles when planning Battlefield's launch?

In a recent financial call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson acknowledged the competitive nature of the gaming industry. He emphasized the significant investment in the new Battlefield, noting that it's being developed by four studios and is poised to be the biggest in the franchise's history. Wilson also hinted at the possibility of adjusting the launch timing if the current window proves less than ideal.

"Certainly, we exist in a competitive marketplace," Wilson stated. "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 further elaborated, "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."

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As it stands, the new Battlefield is set to release before April 2026. If we speculate 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 delaying Battlefield to the first quarter of 2026, still within its fiscal year.

Alternatively, if EA plans to release Battlefield in Q1 2026 and Rockstar delays GTA 6 to the same period, EA could potentially move Battlefield forward or, if necessary, push it beyond the fiscal year into the next. Such a decision would be significant, but Wilson's comments suggest that EA is prepared to make these adjustments.

The gaming industry is on tenterhooks, waiting for Rockstar to announce the GTA 6 release date. Once that's confirmed, whether it's for fall 2025 as planned or delayed into 2026, the rest of the industry's release calendar will likely fall into place.