EA Delays Battlefield to Dodge GTA 6 Competition

2025 is shaping up to be an incredible year for triple-A video games, with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its exclusive titles leading the charge. But that's just the beginning. Later in the year, gamers can look forward to major releases like Borderlands 4, Mafia: The Old Country, and Ghost of Yōtei. Not to mention, Activision's annual tradition continues with a new Call of Duty expected in October or November.

The most anticipated release, however, is undoubtedly Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6, slated for a fall 2025 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. While Take-Two remains committed to this window, the looming uncertainty and the plethora of other blockbuster titles pose a significant challenge for EA's upcoming Battlefield. EA has scheduled the next Battlefield for its 2026 fiscal year, meaning a release before April 2026, placing it squarely in the shadow of GTA 6, and potentially competing with Call of Duty and Borderlands 4.

EA's CEO, Andrew Wilson, acknowledges the competitive landscape in a recent financial call, indicating that the company is prepared to adjust Battlefield's release date if necessary. "Certainly we exist in a competitive marketplace," Wilson stated, emphasizing EA's long history of competing effectively. He highlighted the unprecedented investment in this new Battlefield, involving four studios and substantial development time, aiming to create the biggest Battlefield yet.

Wilson also noted the unique challenges of 2025, suggesting that EA might reconsider its launch timing if the competition becomes too intense. "We have an FY 26 launch window that the team is targeting," he said. "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 launch before April 2026, possibly in November 2025, following the release pattern of previous titles like Battlefield 2042 and Battlefield 5. However, if GTA 6 launches around the same time, EA might delay 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 either advance Battlefield's release or push it beyond the fiscal year. Wilson's comments suggest that EA is ready to make significant adjustments to ensure Battlefield's success.

The entire gaming industry is holding its breath for Rockstar to announce the GTA 6 release date. Once that's revealed, whether it sticks to fall 2025 or shifts into 2026, the dominoes will fall, and the release schedules for other major titles will likely be set.