Grand Theft Auto 6is easily 2025’s most anticipated game thanks to the huge amount of hype that’s been building for it practically since the launch ofGTA 5. For many, it seems like a shoo-in for the best game of the year and the best-selling game of the year. That’s not an unreasonable assumption, even just based on the game’s initial reveal trailer view count on YouTube.
However, whileGTA 6’swild theoriesand fan speculation have led to it garnering a significant amount of buzz,it still has a lot of healthy competition from other triple-A games. None of them felt quite up to the task of going toe-to-toe withGTA 6until recently when a highly-anticipated game that seeks to blend all the best elements from the greatest games ever made finally got a release window of 2025.
GTA 6 Could End Up Dominating 2025
It’s One Of The Biggest Gaming Events Of All Time
GTA 6’srelease windowhas finally been confirmed, giving the millions of fans waiting eagerly for information an idea of when it will drop in 2025. With just this morsel of information,GTA 6has become the biggest gaming event of 2025, if not of all time, with its first reveal trailer having already garnered over 227 million views on YouTube. It’s a staggering achievement for a game that has been a long time coming and will almost certainly dominate the year.
To put into perspective just how muchGTA 6will dominate,Bloombergreported thatseveral developers are holding off on announcing when their game will release in 2025 until they know when Rockstar’s next game will drop. This isn’t particularly surprising, especially as several high-profile titles that were showcased at 2024’s Game Awards showcase and are already planned for release in 2025 still haven’t had a release date confirmed.
Meanwhile, the millions of fans who have watched theGTA 6reveal trailer repeatedly are demanding to know when thenext trailer is comingjust so they can know anything about what will certainly be the best-selling game of the year. Whether or not people are fond of theGTAfranchise as a whole,it’s hard not to admit that it has become as all-consuming as the Switch 2when it comes to rampant rumors and wild theories.
GTA 6’s Story Could Be Setting Up Rockstar’s Most Emotional Moment Yet
Betrayal is such a major theme throughout Rockstar Studio’s games, Grand Theft Auto 6’s treachery storyline has an opportunity to top all the rest.
WhileGTA Onlinehas kept the brand in the public conscience,GTA 5, the last single-player entry in the series, came out over a decade ago. In fact, it will likely have been 12 years betweenGTA 5and6by the time it launches. It’s no wonder people are excited to get their hands on it, especially as Rockstar has proven itself to still be a phenomenal developer withRed Dead Redemption 2. However,whileGTA 6will sell well no matter what, it still has fierce competition from one game that could steal its place as GOTY.
Crimson Desert Could Be GTA 6’s Biggest Competition
It’s All The Best Games Rolled Into One
It was announced during a striking Game Awards trailer thatCrimson Desert, the game once thought so ambitious it must be fake, has finally got a release date in 2025.Crimson Desert’srelease windownow puts it in close proximity withGTA 6, which, frankly, couldn’t be a better pairing. Of course, there will be competition between them, and that’s worth discussing. However, first,it must be stated just how incredible it is that 2025 is playing host to some of the best-looking gamesas well as, potentially, the Switch 2.
Of course, while it can feel likeGTA 6is untouchable when it comes to being the best-selling and potentially even the best game of 2025,Crimson Deserthas put on an impressive showcase over the past few years, dropping gameplay trailer after gameplay trailer that illustrates how it feels like amash-up of the best gamesever made. It feels likeThe Witcher 3,Breath of the Wild,Assassin’s Creed,Skyrim,Dark Souls, and so many more all rolled into one. In many ways,that could end up being a far more appealing prospect than the singularly focusedGTA 6.
That’s not a slight againstGTA 6, as it is important to know one’s audience and focus on delivering the best experience to them. However, by attempting to implement features from a variety of games and thus offering a multitude of different experiences,Crimson Desertcould appeal to a far wider audience. This may better position it to take the top spot fromGTA 6and become a surprise hit, especially thanks to its, ironically,GTA 5-style multiplayer mode.
Crimson Desert Is A Good Alternative To GTA 6
It’s More Fantastical
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which game reigns supreme, as all games offer their own wonderful experiences that will speak to a plethora of players in many different ways. What is important is that 2025 is a great year for gaming, and that absolutely seems like it’s going to be the case.What makesCrimson Desert’s2025 release date such excellent news is that it does offer a similar enough experience toGTA 6while also fitting neatly into its own niche, giving those who don’t care aboutGTA 6something else to get excited about.
While 2025 isn’t lacking in open-world third-person games, the fact thatCrimson Desertis a fantasy game with a focus on melee combat and exploration ensures that there’s a greater variety of experiences for players to sink their teeth into. So far, it’s the only game that really fits into that category, much like howGTA 6is the only realistic third-person shooter scheduled for 2025. That could change, butit’s unlikely that anything else quite as ambitious in scale and scope will come along.
Even GTA 6 Won’t Be Able To Take Down GTA 5
Grand Theft Auto 5 may remain as popular as ever even after the release of GTA 6 in 2025, as players have a decade of time and money invested.
Ultimately,Grand Theft Auto 6will almost certainly dominate the entire year in both sales and likely conversations around gaming, with every other game, including highly-anticipated titles likeCrimson Desert, playing second fiddle. However, there is something refreshing about one of the biggest games of all time having some form of competition. Knowing that lovingGTA 6is no longer a prerequisite to enjoying 2025 is a good feeling and that’s thanks to the ridiculously ambitiousCrimson Desertand many other great-looking games launching in 2025.
