Do you remember all that went down in the virtual realm over the last fortnight? Did you add anything to your Steam library this week? Have you gone down any rabbit holes in the last seven days? No? Would you like to? Do you have a minute?
This week, we’re recapping video game delays, concerning deals with new companies and confusing additions to fandom canon. 60 seconds on the clock — on your marks, get set, read!
— Campbell Johns, Senior Arts Editor and Ariel Litwak, Digital Culture Beat Editor
Grand Theft Auto VI delayed once again
Grand Theft Auto VI has been highly anticipated since before it was announced. The game’s first official trailer currently has more than 250 million views on YouTube, showing just how much traction the game has. In that trailer, the game was set for a 2025 release date. On May 2, 2025, the game was delayed until May 26, 2026. Now, the game has been delayed once again.
The game’s new release date has been set to Nov. 19 of next year. This almost six-month delay has many fans upset, especially after the game was already delayed once before. Take-Two Interactive’s CEO Strauss Zelnick said he was “highly confident” in the game’s new release date in a call with IGN, but despite this, some fans are still worried that the game’s release may be set back again.
Grand Theft Auto V, the game’s predecessor, was released in 2013, leaving many years for fans to prepare for the next entry. In 2024, Grand Theft Auto VI was voted to be the most anticipated game during the annual Game Awards show, proving just how much hype the game had built up since its first trailer in 2023. Two years later, that hype has only grown, but the multiple delays in release have certainly put a damper on the excitement for the game’s eventual release.
Daily Arts Writer Hudsen Mazurek can be reached at hudsen@umich.edu.
Electronic Arts announces ambiguous AI dealings
Electronic Arts has announced a new partnership with Stability AI, positioning the collaboration as a move to increase production speed and creative possibilities for their staff. EA insists that AI will not replace human creators but instead enhance their capabilities, primarily focusing on helping artists to simulate lighting and generate dynamic textures. In EA’s own words, the technology is capable of a lot, but it still lacks an especially human quality:
“It can draft, generate, and analyze, but it can’t imagine, empathize, or dream. That’s the work of EA’s extraordinary artists, designers, developers, storytellers, and innovators. Simply put, this partnership will help empower our creatives to do what they do best.”
Still, skepticism runs deep. The Sims community, already wary after the controversial Saudi Arabia acquisition news, is voicing concern over what this partnership might mean for one of EA’s most beloved and creative franchises. Many point to the recent InZOI controversy (where the developers behind the upcoming life simulator admitted to using AI-generated assets) as a warning sign of what unchecked automation can do to player trust and artistic integrity.
Players are calling for transparency. Specifically, they are asking that the company publicize hiring reports before and after AI implementation and develop clear communication about when and how generative tools will be used in development. In a genre built on simulating human life, the prospect of AI quietly taking the reins feels especially uneasy.
While EA promises a future where artists have more time to focus on their craft, fans are asking the obvious question: What happens when the line between generation and creation starts to blur? After all, it’s one thing to let your Sims run on autopilot, but letting development do the same might be a step too far.
Daily Arts Writer Estlin Salah can be reached at essalah@umich.edu.
Rodrick x Regina George is canon??
Around Halloween, the cross-media ship‘’’ Rodrina (Rodrick from “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” x Regina George from “Mean Girls”) began to take off. I’m still not quite sure why, but evidence points to the insane popularity of a few TikTok edits. These have only become more popular, spawning a lot of couples costumes (I saw multiple pairs walking around this past Halloweekend).
All of this content was fan-driven until wimpykidofficial, the TikTok account for “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” posted a slideshow of Rodrina fan art, tagging the artists. The Mean Girls account commented on the post among a sea of other commenters, joking that the ship is now canonical.
I often feel official brand accounts sour trends by embracing them, trying to seem “#relatable” in a way that feels branded and inauthentic. But instead of making a big deal out of the popular ship, they only posted once, simply tagging the artists and acknowledging the presence of the trend rather than making a bunch of content out of it. It still felt fun, and, as a result, the trend has continued even despite mainstream acknowledgement.
Senior Arts Editor Campbell Johns can be reached at caajohns@umich.edu.
Related articles
