Game delays remain constant in 2025, with over 30 high-profile titles pushed past their original release dates. From GTA 6‘s third postponement to indefinite delays for Prince of Persia and Marathon, here are the major delayed games and their new launch windows.
Table of Contents
Major Delayed Games 2025-2026
| Game | New Release | Original Date | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| GTA 6 | Nov 19, 2026 | May 2026 | Polish (3rd delay) |
| Fable | 2026 | 2025 | Quality assurance |
| Marathon | TBA | Sept 2025 | Post-alpha testing |
| Subnautica 2 | 2026 | 2025 | Leadership changes |
| Marvel 1943 | Late 2026 | Early 2026 | Extended polish |
| Elder Scrolls VI | TBA | TBA | “Long way off” |
| Replaced | March 12, 2026 | 2022 | Ukraine war + quality |
| Crimson Desert | Q1 2026 | 2021 | Extended development |
GTA 6: Three Delays and Counting
Rockstar‘s Grand Theft Auto VI suffered its third delay, pushing from May 2026 to November 19, 2026. The franchise’s history shows Rockstar never delays games more than twice—making this unprecedented. The studio cites polish requirements, though industry analysts note development complexity for massive open-world games.
Live-Service Casualties
Marathon (Bungie): Delayed indefinitely from September 2025 following alpha tests and Concord’s failure. Sony’s live-service strategy faces scrutiny after multiple high-profile flops.
Subnautica 2 (Unknown Worlds): Pushed to 2026 amid controversy—Krafton fired the studio’s leadership team immediately before the delay announcement, sparking boycott calls from fans.
Ukraine War Impact Continues
Replaced (Sad Cat Studios): Originally announced for 2022, the cyberpunk platformer reached March 12, 2026 after developers relocated from Belarus and Ukraine. The team paused development during evacuation periods before resuming with quality-focused delays.
The Sinking City 2 (Frogwares): Moved from 2025 to 2026, citing ongoing challenges from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affecting the Kyiv-based developer.
Indefinite Delays
Several games lack concrete new dates:
- Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake – Delayed “indefinitely” since February 2025
- The Wolf Among Us 2 – No date after 2023 target miss
- Prison Architect 2 – Indefinite after two prior delays
- Crysis 4 – Development paused amid Crytek layoffs
Notable 2026 Arrivals
Crimson Desert (Q1 2026): Pearl Abyss’s Black Desert Online spin-off, first revealed in 2020, finally nears completion.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra (Late 2026): Amy Hennig’s Uncharted-style Marvel game pushed deeper into 2026 for polish.
Pragmata (2026): Capcom’s mysterious Death Stranding-esque project remains vague after years of minimal updates.
The pattern reflects industry-wide challenges: massive scope ambitions, live-service pivots, geopolitical disruptions, and rising quality expectations documented in game development trend analyses.
FAQs
How many times has GTA 6 been delayed?
GTA 6 has been delayed three times—unprecedented for Rockstar, which historically delays games maximum twice before release.
Why are so many games delayed in 2025?
Factors include scope creep, live-service failures prompting caution, Ukraine war impacts, and heightened quality standards post-Cyberpunk 2077.
