October 23 puts Call of Duty exactly four weeks in front of GTA 6 — the minimum viable gap, and the last defensible position on the board. Plus a week of campaign early access, and a mainline Call of Duty running at 60fps on Nintendo hardware.
Wolverine and God of War: Laufey were supposed to rescue Sony's year. One shipped to a divided 78, the other turned out to be dated February 16, 2027 — landing precisely on the far edge of the GTA 6 crater. That placement is the real story.
Epic revealed Unreal Engine 6 at an esports final, with Rocket League — not Fortnite — as the first title. That choice only makes sense once you know Rocket League still runs on a mid-2000s engine, and that the hardest part of the port is the one nobody has discussed.