Nintendo isn’t scared of GTA VI

# Nintendo isn’t scared of GTA VI Source: [https://www.theverge.com/games/991484/zelda-ocarina-of-time-gta-6](https://www.theverge.com/games/991484/zelda-ocarina-of-time-gta-6) There’s never really been a game like*Grand Theft Auto VI*before, one that has completely altered the lineup of games around it\. Everyone, it seems, is scared of going up against*Grand Theft Auto VI*\. Everyone, that is, except for Nintendo\. The company held[a 30\-minute showcase this morning focused entirely on its*Legend of Zelda*franchise](https://www.theverge.com/games/991265/the-legend-of-zelda-40th-anniversary-direct), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary\. We got[a title for the live\-action movie](https://www.theverge.com/games/991322/the-title-is-the-legend-of-zelda),[a series of orchestral concerts](https://www.theverge.com/games/991394/zelda-is-getting-a-concert-tour-to-celebrate-the-series-40th-anniversary), and a[very glittery special edition of the Switch 2](https://www.theverge.com/games/991355/nintendo-is-launching-a-zelda-themed-switch-2)\. But most of the runtime was dedicated to the upcoming Switch 2 remake of*Ocarina of Time*\.[There was a new trailer and a lengthy gameplay video](https://www.theverge.com/games/991218/zelda-ocarina-of-time-remake-release-date-trailer)that showed how Nintendo is approaching this remake, which includes more realistic graphics and new features like a free camera\. But perhaps the most notable detail is when the game launches: November 5th\. *Grand Theft Auto VI*, if you’re unaware, launches on November 19th\.[It’s a date that has caused a seismic shift in the video game release calendar](https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/944229/grand-theft-auto-6-release-calendar-summer-game-fest)as virtually every major publisher has either delayed games or moved their release dates up in order to avoid*GTA*and the all\-encompassing vacuum it creates\. September just began, and already we’ve had launches like*Star Wars Zero Company*,*The Blood of Dawnwalker*, and*Onimusha: Way of the Sword*, with heavy hitters like[*Marvel’s Wolverine*](https://www.theverge.com/games/977564/marvels-wolverine-ps5-preview-character-combat),[*Control Resonant*](https://www.theverge.com/games/944151/control-resonant-hands-on), and a[remastered*Witcher 3*](https://www.theverge.com/games/984680/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-launch-date-trailer)coming later in the month\. [](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-27-at-4.13.31-PM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100) Image: Rockstar Games It’s a similar situation to the surprise launch of*Hollow Knight: Silksong*last year,[where indie games jumped out of the way of its release](https://www.theverge.com/news/764346/hollow-knight-silksong-indie-game-delays-cloverpit-faeland-aeterna-lucis)\. But*GTA VI*exists on a much larger scale\. With few exceptions — including[a pair of brave indies](https://www.theverge.com/games/984765/gta-vi-just-got-some-more-competition)— publishers have decided that it’s better to be caught in a glut of releases in September than go up against*GTA VI*later in the year\. In fact,*Ocarina of Time*is the only other major release[that isn’t a port](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlccMxW_0bc)and is currently slated for November\. Of course, it’s not really all that surprising that Nintendo isn’t afraid of competing with*GTA VI*\. In some ways, the games aren’t competing directly at all;*Ocarina of Time*will be a Switch 2 exclusive, while*GTA*is coming to the Xbox and PS5\. But there’s more to it than that\.*Zelda*and*GTA*will still be fighting over cultural mindshare, which is something that both Nintendo and Rockstar have become adept at cultivating\. And they’ve both done it largely the same way: by ignoring what everyone else is doing\. For Rockstar, the massive success of*GTA V*allowed the studio the space and freedom to do essentially whatever it wanted, and the decade\-plus in between*Grand Theft Auto*releases has generated a level of hype that has perhaps never been seen before in any entertainment industry\. That has allowed the next game to[largely exist in its own universe](https://www.theverge.com/column/983410/grand-theft-auto-vi-exists-in-its-own-universe), where Rockstar can do unprecedented things[like put out a lengthy gameplay video on Netflix](https://www.theverge.com/games/983941/grand-theft-auto-vi-gta-netflix-extended-look)\. Nintendo operates in a similar way, largely following its own whims rather than industry trends\. This has led to some high\-profile failures — RIP to the Wii U — but over the last decade or so, Nintendo has further distanced itself from competitors Sony and Microsoft, going in a completely new direction with its hybrid Switch line of hardware\. Instead of following trends, Nintendo now starts them: Just look at all of the devices that followed the Switch, from the Steam Deck to the PlayStation Portal\.[The PS6 might even be a portable](https://www.theverge.com/games/963132/sony-playstation-future-handheld-pc-business-meeting-end-of-discs)\. If you want a clear example of just how separate Nintendo is from the rest of the industry, look no further than 2020\. In the same week that the PS5 and Xbox Series X were ushering in the next generation of game consoles, Nintendo also launched its own hardware:[an updated version of the Game & Watch that could play*Super Mario Bros\.*and tell you the time](https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/13/21562549/nintendo-game-and-watch-super-mario-bros-next-gen-consoles)\. It’s hard to get much further away from next\-gen than that\. The current iteration of Nintendo is one that[largely avoids risks](https://www.theverge.com/nintendo/671949/nintendo-switch-2-era-risks)and[often plays things safe](https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/947120/nintendo-direct-june-2026-analysis)\. But it’s also one that operates with an incredible amount of confidence, which is something that much of the rest of the industry lacks, at least when it comes to*GTA*\. The next*Grand Theft Auto*may have the ability to warp the video game release calendar, but Nintendo and*Zelda*have enough pull to be able to ignore it\. **Follow topics and authors**from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates\. - Andrew Webster