Xbox's Strategic Release Plans: Navigating the Release of GTA 6 and Internal Competition for 2025

With Fable and Doom: The Dark Ages coming in 2025, Xbox lead wants to avoid the elephant in the room. Many are going to plan around GTA 6.

Grand Theft Auto 6 will undoubtedly act as a black hole when it releases next year, consuming player time, space, and attention like a cosmic force, and Microsoft is just as eager to avoid it as the rest of the industry.

This year's Xbox Game Showcase featured a substantial array of big trailers, which concluded with a vague 2025 promise and nothing more. The Fable reboot, Doom: The Dark Ages and South of Midnight are all planned for next year, while games such as Gears of War: E-Day, State of Decay 3, and Perfect Dark appeared with no specific promises—just 'we're making these' trailers.

Discussing this on Variety's Strictly Business podcast, Xbox's head of content and studios, Matt Booty, clarified that the decision to include open-ended release windows was intentional. This approach aims to avoid delays and steer clear of dominating releases in the industry. He noted that many within the industry will naturally plan around GTA 6, eagerly anticipating its release. The objective is to ensure they don't launch in the shadow of another major release, keeping their options flexible.

Another issue for Xbox stems from internal competition. Microsoft's extensive acquisitions have created a vast portfolio, and the publisher now needs to ensure every game is given the space to stand out. Booty emphasized the necessity of strategic planning to avoid internal conflicts, leveraging their substantial lineup effectively throughout the year. By leaving specific months and days open-ended, they aim to avoid stepping on their own toes, allowing adequate room for each title to shine.