Why GTA 6’s Release Doesn’t Scare Ubisoft

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI is set for release in 2025, and given how massive the game’s launch is expected to be, many are wondering how it could affect titles from competing companies. Ubisoft, for its part, has said it’s looking forward to GTA VI’s release because when a game as big as GTA VI comes out, it helps the market overall.

“What we see, generally, when GTA is coming, is that more people come to play. So generally it’s positive on the overall market,” CEO Yves Guillemot said during Ubisoft’s latest earnings call.

Guillemot went on to say that historical trends for Ubisoft’s business bear this out. He said Ubisoft’s games enjoyed “very good sales” around the time that GTA V came out in 2013, while its titles also performed well when the GTA V re-release for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S launched in March 2022.

“It is something that is counter-intuitive but is working for us in general,” Guillemot said.

The company went on to say that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, which was released a month after GTA V in 2013, enjoyed record sales for the series at the time. Ubisoft’s overall philosophy is to focus on delivering high-quality game experiences even when the competition is strong, the company said.

Ubisoft has not, however, announced its full game release pipeline for 2025, so it’s too soon to say what Ubisoft game might be competing with GTA VI. The game is set for release during Fall 2025, but every Rockstar game in the past decade has been delayed so there is a chance this happens again with GTA VI.