2025 is shaping up to be a blockbuster year for triple-A video games, with an exciting lineup that includes the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and its exclusive titles. Gamers can also look forward to heavyweights like Borderlands 4, Mafia: The Old Country, and Ghost of Yōtei. Of course, we can't forget the annual tradition of a new Call of Duty title from Activision, likely slated for an October or November release.

However, the most anticipated game of the year is undoubtedly Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6, set to release in the fall of 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Despite Take-Two's commitment to the fall 2025 window, there remains a lingering uncertainty, especially with other major shooters on the horizon. This uncertainty puts EA's upcoming Battlefield release in a challenging position.

EA has scheduled the next Battlefield for its 2026 fiscal year, meaning it must hit the market before April 2026. This timing places it squarely in the shadow of GTA 6 and potentially other big titles like Call of Duty and Borderlands 4. The question then arises: how much should EA consider the release dates of its competitors when planning Battlefield's launch?

EA CEO Andrew Wilson recently acknowledged the competitive landscape in a financial call, suggesting that the company is prepared to adjust the release date if necessary. "Certainly we exist in a competitive marketplace," Wilson stated. He emphasized the significant investment and effort put into this new Battlefield, involving four studios and aiming to create the largest Battlefield game to date. Wilson noted, "We're looking for this to be the biggest Battlefield we've ever made... We of course want to make sure that we launch that into a window where we can deliver on the fullness of the promise of what Battlefield can be and grow the community to a level that is commensurate with the size of the game that we're making."

Wilson also highlighted the unique challenges of 2025, hinting at potential shifts in launch timing. "I do believe that this year might be a nuanced year relative to competition. 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."

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As it stands, the new Battlefield is expected to launch before April 2026. If we speculate a November 2025 release (following the pattern of Battlefield 2042 in November 2021 and Battlefield 5 in November 2018), and GTA 6 launches around the same time, EA might consider delaying 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 could potentially move Battlefield forward or even push it out of the fiscal year into the next. This would be a significant decision, but Wilson's comments indicate that EA is ready to adapt.

The entire gaming industry is eagerly awaiting Rockstar's announcement of the GTA 6 release date. Once that's confirmed, whether it sticks to the planned fall 2025 or shifts to 2026, the rest of the release calendar will likely fall into place, allowing other publishers to plan their moves accordingly.