Grand Theft Auto 6 now has an official release date, but unfortunately, it’s in May 2026, not fall 2025 as previously expected. It was set to be perhaps the biggest launch of the year, but Rockstar says it needs more time to make GTA 6 the best game it can be. While it’s a disappointment for fans, it’s probably the best move for the game.
But if you planned to spend your fall playing Grand Theft Auto, you probably have a pretty decent gap in your gaming schedule. Rather than lament the delay, here are five other games you can try instead. These cover the spectrum of genres, but are all great options for filling the void left in your gaming schedule.
Borderlands 4
Gearbox Software’s zany, over-the-top looter shooter launches on September 12, a full two weeks ahead of its originally predicted date. Fans suggested the launch date might have been moved because of GTA, but now we know it was just good fortune for Borderlands fans.
The fourth entry in the series is more multiplayer-focused than ever and set on a brand-new planet with plenty of enemies to kill and Vaults to explore. So far, only two of the four playable Vault Hunters have been revealed, but you can look forward to more information at the gameplay event in June.
Ghost of Yotei
Ghost of Yotei is the follow-up to the excellent Ghost of Tsushima, but set roughly 300 years after the events of the first game. You take the role of a woman named Atsu on a quest of revenge, hunting down the men who killed her family. Ghost of Yotei brings back many of the same mechanics of the first game, but adds new activities like stargazing to capture the same moments of peace in between combat.
Ghost of Yotei releases on October 2 on PlayStation 5. For gamers who want a darker, more story-focused game, Yotei promises to provide exactly that while scratching that samurai-movie itch at the same time.
Marathon
Bungie’s hotly anticipated extraction shooter drops September 23. The company is best known for Halo and Destiny, both offering top-tier gunplay that makes every weapon feel fantastic to use. Marathon is a sort of spiritual successor to Bungie’s original Marathon trilogy, with references scattered throughout but no direct link (at least not a confirmed one).
Marathon is set to drop on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC at the same time. There’s no single-player mode to speak of; the entire game is a PvPvE experience, similar to other extraction shooters like Delta Force‘s Operations mode or Escape from Tarkov. There’s no end to choices in the extraction shooter genre, but Bungie is a studio that has changed the name of the game before. Maybe they’ll do it again.
Dune: Awakening
If you are itching for a good survival MMO, Dune: Awakening might be just what the doctor ordered. The game launches June 10 and is the perfect way for a fan of the Dune franchise to dive into the rugged, unforgiving desert world of Arrakis. Rather than tracking hunger, players have to monitor their hydration levels and sun exposure. You also have to pay attention for incoming sandstorms, as getting caught in one is an almost guaranteed death sentence.
Dune: Awakening blends third-person shooter elements with the exploration and missions of an MMORPG, all while throwing survival elements on top of it all. And while doing all of that, it tells an engrossing story set in an alternate version of the Dune universe where the enigmatic hero of the books and movies was never born. If you’re eager to get started, its character creator is available for download now. You can play around and figure out what you want your avatar to look like and then import it after Dune: Awakening launches.
Cyberpunk 2077
Is this an oldie? Yup. But it’s still a goodie, and it’s releasing on Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5. Cyberpunk 2077 is an excellent way to get the Grand Theft Auto vibe in a more futuristic setting, rubbing elbows with underworld elements while eluding the powers that be. When it first launched, the game was a buggy mess that left fans disappointed and was practically unplayable at points. It has come a long way since then and is more than worth revisiting.
With that in mind, it’s an expansive world with excellent writing and characters, tons of different customization for different builds, and plenty of different weapons to pick from as you shoot your way through a late-stage capitalistic world taken to the extreme. It’s available on all major platforms now, although playing it on PlayStation 5 Pro or a high-end gaming PC is the best way to get the full visual effect of Night City. And if you enjoy the base game, the Phantom Liberty DLC is worth your time, too.
