Analyst: Grand Theft Auto V likely in 2013

Analyst group Sterne Agee has proclaimed a shift in expectations for the release date of Rockstar’s upcoming action title Grand Theft Auto V.

The game is now more likely to launch at the start of next year versus later this year as previously thought, Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia has revealed in a statement to Gamasutra.

The group had previously projected a third quarter launch of the surefire blockbuster during the current fiscal year (right ahead of the holidays), but now Bhatia feels a March 2013 launch is much more probable.

He also postured that the extra time will leave the potential for a Nintendo Wii U launch, as well as providing Rockstar additional development time.

Rockstar officially unveiled GTAV at the end of last year, with no solid release date yet to be mentioned. Bhatia had previously stated that the title could reach sales of up to 25m units within its first year.