Ghost of Yōtei Release Might Be Delayed Due To Death Stranding 2 and GTA 6

Ghost of Yōtei is one of the most anticipated games for 2025, following the success of Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch's surprise smash in 2020. Ghost of Yōtei, while not a direct sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, will follow in its footsteps and find its place on the latter's ground with various enhancements, such as those already seen in its graphics and what Sucker Punch has announced in terms of the game's new gameplay features and its return to emphasis on player choice.

While Ghost of Yōtei's official release window is said to be 2025, there’s a possibility that the game might be overshadowed since Death Stranding 2: On The Beach now has a release date of June 26, 2025. The reason behind this logic is that when The Last of Us Part II was released right next to Ghost of Tsushima in 2020, it almost overshadowed Ghost of Tsushima in a way. Both of these games being major PlayStation exclusives, Sucker Punch Productions will not want to release a game in any close proximity to one another given their experience with Ghost of Tsushima.

Another thing to notice is that Ghost of Tsushima was in development for approximately six years. It was revealed in 2017 and released in 2020. So, assuming a 4-5-year development cycle with reused technology, engine, open world, and framework, a 2025 release date for Ghost of Yōtei implies that game production began in 2020 or somewhere in 2021. That being said, given the polish required for this game, Sucker Punch Productions would love to release the game within 2025 so that they can move on to their next project.

But now that Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is set to be released on June 26, 2025, it’s highly likely that Ghost of Yōtei’s launch will be overshadowed. There’s no doubt that the game will sell well, but the launch sales volume will indeed have an impact. We know that being Sony's first-party developers, Sucker Punch Productions will not want to release a game if it is going to have a disappointing launch sale.

Ghost of Yōtei’s was officially showcased in September 2024 with a cinematic trailer featuring short fragments of gameplay, indicating that it is still in active development. Given that it was unveiled in September, releasing in July would make sense because there would be a 12-month gap between the first reveal and release. But it's possible that they opted to wait a little longer to distinguish it from all of the other games that were debuting, and it came out about 18 months after the initial announcement.

However, it is already widely known that 2025 will feature a number of high-profile games. We've already had Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, and Assassin's Creed Shadows released in just a week. Then there is the looming release of GTA 6, which will be released this year. On the other hand, games like Phantom Blade Zero, Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and Borderlands 4 are also coming out this year.

So, it could make sense for Sony to release Ghost of Yōtei in late summer, either July through August or possibly early October, to dominate a quieter period. However, when GTA 6 is officially released, the release equation could change. PlayStation is unlikely to want to compete with GTA 6 with Ghost of Yōtei. They’d rather prefer to compete with Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and release Ghost of Yōtei between July and August, thus repeating their previous strategy.