Take-Two CEO on GTA 6 Delay: 'Painful but Necessary for Creative Vision'

Back in February, I had the opportunity to speak with Strauss Zelnick, the head of Take-Two, about their confidence in meeting the then-anticipated fall 2025 release window for GTA 6. At the time, Zelnick expressed strong confidence, stating he felt "really good about it." However, just three months later, as perhaps expected by many, the release of GTA 6 was postponed to May 26, 2026.

Curious about what led to this delay, I followed up with Zelnick in a recent interview, coinciding with Take-Two's latest financial report. He explained that as GTA 6 approached its initial launch date, it became evident that additional time was needed for polishing the game. "As we get closer to completion of a title that’s seeking perfection, the needs or lack thereof, for continued polish become clear," Zelnick remarked. He emphasized that the extra time would ensure that Rockstar Games could fully realize their creative vision without any compromises, a decision he fully supported.

“In this case, there was an opportunity with a small amount of incremental time, we thought, to make sure Rockstar Games achieves its creative vision with no limitations. And I supported, of course, that approach,” Zelnick added.

While the delay pushes GTA 6's release outside of Take-Two's current fiscal year, impacting short-term financials, Zelnick remains optimistic about the company's upcoming lineup. He highlighted several titles on the horizon, including Gearbox’s Borderlands 4, Hangar 13’s Mafia: The Old Country, and new entries in the NBA 2K and WWE 2K series. "I feel really good about how Fiscal 26 looks sitting here today," he stated. Despite the disappointment of delays, Zelnick stressed the importance of supporting teams in their pursuit of perfection.

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Revisiting the question of confidence in hitting the new release date of May 26, 2026, Zelnick appeared even more assured this time around. "I think historically when we set a specific date, generally speaking, we've been very good about reaching it," he noted. This statement suggests a strong belief that GTA 6 will meet its revised deadline, although he acknowledged that anything can happen in game development.

With the release of GTA 6 Trailer 2 and additional information from Rockstar, speculation about the game's content has reached a fever pitch. Some fans are even theorizing that Liberty City could feature in GTA 6, either at launch or as post-launch DLC.

As we eagerly await more news on GTA 6, there's plenty of content to explore, including all the details we’ve discovered so far, a collection of 70 brand new screenshots, and expert opinions on how GTA 6 will perform on the PS5 Pro.