EA Delays Battlefield to Dodge GTA 6 Competition

2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year for triple-A video games. Not only will we see the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 along with its exclusive titles, but we're also eagerly anticipating 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, not to mention the inevitable new *Call of Duty* installment from Activision, likely slated for an October or November release.

However, the spotlight undoubtedly falls on Rockstar Games' colossal *Grand Theft Auto 6*, slated for a fall 2025 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. While Take-Two Interactive remains committed to this timeline, the looming possibility of a delay adds a layer of uncertainty, especially with other heavy hitters like *Battlefield* from EA vying for attention.

EA has penciled in the next *Battlefield* for its fiscal year 2026, which ends in April 2026. This timing places it squarely in the midst of *GTA 6*'s potential release window, and possibly even overlapping with *Call of Duty* and *Borderlands 4*. The question arises: how much does EA need to consider these competing release dates when planning its *Battlefield* launch?

In a recent financial call, EA CEO Andrew Wilson acknowledged the competitive landscape. "Certainly, we exist in a competitive marketplace," Wilson remarked. He emphasized EA's long history of successfully competing with its franchises and highlighted the unprecedented scale of investment in this upcoming *Battlefield* title. With four studios involved and a substantial development timeline, Wilson expressed the goal of making it the biggest *Battlefield* yet. He also noted the possibility of adjusting the launch window to ensure the game can meet its full potential and grow its community.

"I do believe that this year might be a nuanced year relative to competition," Wilson added. "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 scheduled for release before April 2026. If we consider a hypothetical November 2025 launch (following the pattern of previous releases like *Battlefield 2042* in November 2021 and *Battlefield 5* in November 2018), a simultaneous or near-*GTA 6* launch could prompt EA to delay *Battlefield* to the first quarter of 2026, still within its fiscal year.

However, if EA already plans a Q1 2026 release for *Battlefield* and Rockstar delays *GTA 6* to the same period, EA might consider advancing the *Battlefield* launch or, alternatively, pushing it beyond the fiscal year into 2027. This would be a significant decision, but one EA appears ready to make based on Wilson's comments.

The entire gaming industry seems to be holding its breath, waiting for Rockstar to announce the *GTA 6* release date. Once that's revealed, whether it sticks to fall 2025 or shifts into 2026, the puzzle pieces for other game releases will likely fall into place.