Developers miss release windows all the time. As games become bigger, more complex, and increasingly expensive to make, delays – unfortunately – are part of the process. 2026 has some huge launches pencilled in, yet several high-profile titles are carrying enough uncertainty, production baggage, or external pressure that slipping into 2027 feels like a real possibility. Here are five of the biggest games we think stand a chance of not making it out this year.
Grand Theft Auto VI
While unsubstantiated claims of another GTA VI delay emerged over the holidays – notably, from cursory social media accounts rage baiting for engagement – no official update has come from Rockstar or parent-company Take-Two. The unverified reports are speculating Vice City’s return will be rescheduled to June 2026.
It’s no secret that GTA VI, together with Rockstar, has been weathering turbulence. The studio is facing fallout from union-busting accusations, while the game’s exclusion from PlayStation wrapped (in favour of Sony’s first-party titles) fuelled the rumours those news feeds capitalised on. Taken together with the resulting chatter from GTA VI’s most-recent delay, the narrative has arguably shifted; concerns around project scope and development complexity have arisen, with Rockstar’s ability to deliver an experience worthy of the franchise’s reputation coming under scrutiny. Even though we’re still some distance from GTA VI’s late-2026 window, the question now is can Rockstar steady the ship, avoid expectation fatigue, and still release an industry-defining open-world epic to match the hype.
Again, all signs indicate that the late-2026 release is locked-in, and there are reasons to believe that, this time, it’ll stick. First: it primes GTA VI to dominate the holiday season. Second: it maintains the stratospheric anticipation without eroding fan patience further. And third: it gives Take-Two enough time to tighten its publishing model to perfection without worrying shareholders. See, reports claim the impact of GTA VI’s most recent delay was insignificant on share prices, but the same cannot be guaranteed if the title is pushed to 2027.
So, bottom line: GTA VI probably won’t be delayed again. Yet, with internal distractions and investor pressure, the game needs to release in flawless condition if it’s to match the weight of expectation. Even the slightest suggestion that it isn’t up to par could trigger another delay, despite the stakes being higher now than ever.
Fable
Unveiled way back in 2020, it was confirmed in February last year that Fable’s much-anticipated reboot was being moved from its original 2025 release to 2026 to allow more development time. Now we’re in 2026, and having seen nothing of the project for some time, speculation is emerging that production isn’t going as smoothly as Microsoft would have us believe. Still, much like GTA VI, there’re currently no credible reports that Fable won’t see the light of day in 2026 or – as the most drastic rumours suggest – that it has been quietly cancelled.
In development hell or not, Fable studio Playground Games will feature heavily at the Xbox Developer Direct livestream slated for January 26th. Forza Horizon 6, their other, arguably more famous venture, already has its presentation confirmed, but we are set to get our first meaningful Fable update in a long time too, quashing the rumours of cancellation.
Game complexity explains Fable’s lengthy production, but by delaying to 2026 the reboot has landed in a potentially tricky timeline. While Forza Horizon 6 shares a vague release window, insiders anticipate its arrival in the first half of 2026. If true, Fable is unlikely to release until the second half of the year – late summer, September, or maybe into October. The closer it gets to GTA VI, the more its anticipation is diluted by Rockstar’s behemothic event. We expect every studio will be keeping a close eye on Grand Theft Auto VI, preparing to push into 2027 if needed.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
In a change to our regular speculative programming, this one’s waving enough red flags to make a delay into 2027 near-enough a foregone conclusion. Skydance Interactive’s WW2-era Marvel superhero cross-over was delayed last May into the first part of 2026. However, late last year it was confirmed that Rise of Hydra would not be planting its flag before summer 2026. Now delayed indefinitely, Skydance states the extra time is required to fully realise their vision but, tellingly, with no up-to-date release window provided, perhaps there is more going on behind the scenes than simple polish.
Reading between the lines, and jumping aboard the speculation train once more, Skydance’s desire to “fully realise their vision” likely references a shared vision with Marvel. That may imply disagreements between studio and IP owner over what the final version of the game should be. While ambitious; the challenge here seems to be streamlining its complexity. When boardrooms listen to focus groups as much as creators, a spin-off like Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is always going to divide internal opinion.
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve
Announced at The Game Awards in December, the long-running aerial arcade-sim shooter series is back with an explosive campaign set in the Strangereal universe. Photorealism, custom tech, and revolutionary cloud rendering, all powered by the increasingly unwieldy Unreal Engine 5, are the locked-on targets for Ace Combat 8. But, with no firm release quarter yet announced, some industry analysts, fans, and insiders claim this puts Wings of Theve at risk of slipping to 2027.
Like others in this feature, Bandai Namco hasn’t confirmed or denied anything of the sort, but given historical context a delay wouldn’t break the mould for the series. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown suffered a string of delays; its launch in January 2019 arrived almost two-years after its planned 2017 release. The principal reasons for these delays included a push for greater technical accomplishment and the need for narrative re-writes. Given Wings of Theve is attempting a similarly ambitious story while fully leveraging current-gen tools and hardware, history certainly is at risk of repeating.
Marvel’s Wolverine
Insomniac’s deviation from Spider-Man to Marvel’s second-most popular superhero is set for release during Fall 2026 – even after Rockstar’s most-recent GTA VI delay. The studio has been adamant across their social media channels that they are targeting the latter half of the year regardless of when Grand Theft Auto VI arrives.
GTA’s reliably unreliable reshuffling is a headache for numerous studios, as noted earlier, but Sony and Insomniac are holding firm. Remember: the first Spider-Man game on PS4 released in close proximity to Red Dead Redemption 2. In retrospect, one release didn’t overshadow the other. This time around though, there are key differences: Wolverine, while undeniably popular, isn’t Spider-Man popular. Likewise, while Red Dead is well-liked, GTA is universally revered. For sure, Sony won’t be overlooking this, but the true degree of difference is difficult to quantify.
So, while the games may be different their audiences still overlap considerably. If Fall 2026 means September or October, then there is nothing blocking Marvel’s Wolverine from releasing as planned. But if the game is slated for November then Sony has a decision to make: can Wolverine confidently stand apart from GTA VI? Late Fall, as November would be, is prime AAA holiday season. If every seasonal duck isn’t lined up; if publishing models aren’t perfectly placed, then Sony will push Wolverine to next year.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
