The release of Grand Theft Auto VI is approaching, and it's clear that Rockstar Games' new project will attract enormous attention. Not only large, but also some small developers and publishers are rushing to release their games or postpone releases to avoid clashing with such a giant. However, not everyone shares this view.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Tomas Sala, previously known for projects like The Falconeer and Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles, expressed the opinion that indie developers should not be afraid of such a game.
Tomas believes that the Grand Theft Auto VI audience does not buy niche projects, so even if the release happens alongside this game, nothing will change:
I don't understand why people are afraid [of GTA VI]. It has its own audience that doesn't go out and buy niche sailing games, obscure puzzles, or small narrative deckbuilders. They just want to play GTA.
The developer referred to a survey by Circana analysts conducted in the US in 2025. It showed that 63% of players buy a new game once every six months or less (with 33% buying games less than once a year), and only 14% buy a game once a month or more often. And Tomas is "almost certain" that these 14% of players are not the GTA audience.
Tomas also believes that the active media coverage of GTA VI during its release will not significantly affect "niche" projects — they are essentially not written about anyway:
Media doesn't write about indie games anyway, except for the "game of the week" — right now everyone is talking about Meccha Chameleon. They are not reviews like "top ten games" released this month. There have been some really cool indie games that got a review, maybe on RPS or Eurogamer, and that's it. That's all the coverage they'll ever get.
Many indie hits did not receive articles and were not streamed, but at the same time, "they are still very successful because they find their audience:
We can talk about the industry as if it's in decline — and for many, it truly is — but if you look at what's being created and released, it's a golden age right now.
Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled for release on November 19 this year on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. Rockstar Games and Take-Two have not yet announced the release date or release window for the PC version of the game.