GTA 6 Gets Another Delay, Half-Life 3 Launches And More 2026 Gaming Predictions

GamesIndustry.biz does a yearly analyst roundtable, gathering predictions for what the next year will bring to the industry. This year's post paints a picture of an industry stuck in cautious recovery mode, with growth returning slowly, platform boundaries continuing to blur, and a handful of massive releases and technologies threatening to warp everything around them.

The biggest gravitational force remains Grand Theft Auto 6, even in its continued absence. Several analysts see Rockstar's long-awaited sequel as both a growth catalyst and a risk. Newzoo's Emmanuel "Manu" Rosier warns that another delay in 2026 would "start to test industry and investor patience," shifting the narrative from confidence in Rockstar's polish to concerns about ballooning scope and expectations. Ampere Analysis' Piers Harding-Rolls, by contrast, expects GTA 6 to land and become "the largest entertainment release of all time in terms of revenue generated in its launch months ...