By James Batchelor

Historically, November has been the busiest month for new videogame releases. Everyone from triple-A publishers to ambitious indies release their games in the run-up to the end-of-year holidays in the hopes of maximising sales and attention.

This year, however, November's looking a little thin – and it's no secret why.

"You can see a wall of fire in terms of releases around two weeks before and after the launch of GTAVI," says Kantan Games CEO Serkan Toto, "which is probably the right thing to do, given how it’ll dominate the world of games next month.

"It is understandable everybody wants to avoid launching games they have been working on for years right next to this phenomenon. They want to be better safe than sorry, especially in a year which is already crowded with hit releases."

And yet some companies have decided to brave the heat. 

Aspyr, for example, deliberately aped GTA's marketing in the reveal trailer for Shrek 2 Remastered, which launches November 10. In June, Atari delayed Barbie Rewind to November 12, while Wales Interactive is launching co-op survival horror Hazard Levels on the same day.

But by far the boldest are Devolver Digital and Coffee Stain, who are respectively launching retro platformer Volvy's Adventure and the next Goat Simulator 3 DLC on November 19: the same day as Grand Theft Auto VI.

Toto believes most of these games "should do all right on their own, as they have nothing in common with GTAVI."

Sebastian Eriksson, CEO of Coffee Stain North, seems equally unconcerned, pointing to the fact that Goat Simulator 3’s previous expansion launched November 19, 2025.

"[Ticket To Dizzyworld] had always been planned to drop about a year from that date. Also, we at Coffee Stain never shy away from unorthodox practices, and if everyone else is going right, why not try our luck going left? If players want to commit grand theft auto on November 19 but with bumper cars and barf bags, we’re happy to provide the option.

"We’re up front in our messaging that it’s a David-against-Goliath situation. I’ll leave it unsaid who’s who… Anyway, what was Rockstar's answer when you asked them how they are preparing to go up against Goat Simulator come November?"

David Banner, CEO of Hazard Levels publisher Wales Interactive, acknowledges that it's "certainly an interesting time to be launching a game," adding: "GTAVI is one of the biggest entertainment releases in history, so there’s no denying it will dominate a lot of the conversation. But we also think there’s room for games of all sizes to find their audience. Players aren’t limited to experiencing just one game."

Blue Brain Games is releasing the PS4 and PS5 versions of The House Of Tesla: Definitive Edition on the same day, but hopes the puzzle game's success on PC and mobile puts it in good stead for November.

"We are not worried about launching so close to GTAVI, as we don't see an overlap between our audiences," says PR rep Dan Sheridan. "If anything, having the only other [PlayStation] title releasing on the same day gives us at least an opportunity to become a talking point."

Most firms confirm that launching in close proximity to Rockstar's behemoth has necessitated a slightly different approach to PR and marketing. With most of the media attention and ad space taken up by GTA, Banner says Wales Interactive has been "particularly focused and deliberate in our approach to the launch." 

"Rather than relying on a single big moment to drive awareness, we’re exploring a range of guerrilla marketing strategies to build momentum, communicate what makes the game distinctive, and reach the communities most likely to connect with it," he explains. "Every campaign needs to be tailored to the game, but with Hazard Levels, there’s an added emphasis on clarity and precision: making sure our message cuts through and reaches the right audience, rather than simply trying to reach as many people as possible.

"We can’t compete with Rockstar on scale, nor would it make sense to replicate its strategy… Success isn’t just about the initial launch window. We’ve spent the past couple of years building the game from the ground up, with a huge amount of skill and passion, and we want to find the players who really connect with what we’ve created."

Erikkson adds: "If anything, we’ve held back on resources going into 'traditional' marketing channels in the gaming space. It’s simply not worth competing in that space, and that is also not where the majority of our players get their gaming news."

Even in the influencer space, a different approach has been required. Blue Brain Games has heard that many content creators are not taking on any sponsored content opportunities for at least a month starting November 1, so Sheridan says the company is instead looking at short-form CPM-based video coverage.

Toto recognises why so few publishers have risked launching within the GTA window, although he admits he wishes more had been bolder.

"In 2026, GTAVI is the ultimate end boss in almost every way," he says. "Not everybody will play it, however, so it’s regrettable that not a single studio really tried to counter it with a blockbuster on their own. Out of the big studios out there, I can only imagine Nintendo being able to largely ignore the game this year.

"Everybody else in the industry will be happy once things return to normal in a few months – at least until GTA Online hits and leads to another massive spike for the game."