GTA 5: Pachter Pins Release Date In May, Suggests Date Will Be Announced February 5

Industry analyst Mike Pachter isn’t one to mince words when it comes to making bold predictions about the state of the game industry. In this case, Pachter’s weighed in on the release date for Rockstar’s upcoming title, Grand Theft Auto 5—a game which he’s talked about quite frequently in the past.

Pachter’s previous prediction that the game would be released in Spring 2013 came to pass when Rockstar itself did the announcing late last year, so Pachter’s credibility is solid—at least on the subject of Grand Theft Auto 5 and Rockstar’s release plans.

The analyst today predicted that Rockstar will make a formal announcement of the game’s release date on February 5 as a part of Take-Two’s fiscal 2013 Q3 results. The publisher, which released a preview to investors today, did not include a release date for the upcoming game.

“Grand Theft Auto V’s release date remains elusive, frustrating shareholders,” wrote Pachter (via Videogamer.com).

“TTWO initially provided FY:13 EPS guidance in “excess of $2.00″ in May 2011, a strong indication of GTA V’s release, but conceded that it would not ship in FY:13 last August when it lowered EPS guidance for the year to $0.00 – 0.20. Investor confidence appears shaken by repeated, unexpected, and unjustified swings in profit and loss. If Rockstar is ready to confide in Take-Two management, we may learn the launch date next week.”

Pachter says that he expects the game to launch in May. Grand Theft Auto 5 is slated for release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Word of the PC version remains elusive, but retailers like Amazon Germany and Amazon UK have begun to take pre-orders for the title. Evidence is mounting that just such a port is currently in development.