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

Back in February, I had the chance to speak with Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, about the confidence surrounding the then-anticipated fall 2025 release window for GTA 6. At that time, he expressed a strong sense of optimism, stating he felt "really good about it." However, just three months later, the release of GTA 6 was pushed back to May 26, 2026, a delay that perhaps came as no surprise to many.

In a recent interview coinciding with Take-Two's latest financial results, I delved deeper into what prompted this shift. Zelnick explained that as GTA 6 neared its initial launch date, the necessity for additional refinement became apparent. "As we get closer to completion of a title that's seeking perfection, the needs or lack thereof, for continued polish become clear," he remarked. He emphasized that with just a bit more time, Rockstar Games could achieve their creative vision without compromise, a decision he fully endorsed.

"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 stated.

The delay of GTA 6 into the next fiscal year poses a short-term challenge for Take-Two's financial outlook. However, Zelnick remains optimistic about the company's upcoming slate, which includes titles like 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 shared. "And while of course, delays pain me — how could they not? — the most important thing to do is to support your teams in their search for perfection."

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Returning to the topic of GTA 6's release, I posed the same question to Zelnick again: How confident are you that Rockstar will meet the new May 26, 2026, release date? This time, his response was even more assertive: "I think historically when we set a specific date, generally speaking, we've been very good about reaching it." This suggests a high level of confidence that GTA 6 will not face further delays, though in the unpredictable world of game development, nothing is ever guaranteed.

The release of GTA 6 Trailer 2 and the accompanying information from Rockstar have fueled widespread speculation about the game's content. Some fans are even theorizing that Liberty City might feature in GTA 6, either at launch or as post-launch DLC.

As we await further updates, there's plenty more to explore about GTA 6, including all the details we've uncovered so far, a collection of 70 new screenshots, and expert insights on how GTA 6 will perform on the PS5 Pro.