Take-Two CEO: GTA 6 Delay to 2026 Ensures Rockstar's Creative Vision

Back in February, I had the opportunity to speak with Take-Two Interactive's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, about the anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), which was initially slated for a fall 2025 launch. At the time, Zelnick expressed high confidence in meeting that deadline, stating he felt "really good about it." However, just three months later, the release was postponed to May 26, 2026, a move that perhaps surprised no one in the gaming community.

Curious about what led to this delay, I revisited the topic with Zelnick during a recent interview, coinciding with the release of Take-Two's latest financial results. He explained that as the development of GTA 6 progressed closer to its intended launch, the need for additional refinement became evident. "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 slight extension would allow Rockstar Games to fully realize their creative vision without any compromises, a decision he wholeheartedly supported.

The delay pushes GTA 6's release outside of Take-Two's current fiscal year, impacting the company's short-term financial projections. Despite this, Zelnick remains optimistic about the company's upcoming lineup, 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 stated, acknowledging the pain of delays but stressing the importance of supporting the development teams in their pursuit of perfection.

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When I posed the same question about confidence in meeting the new release date of May 26, 2026, Zelnick's response was even more assured. "I think historically when we set a specific date, generally speaking, we've been very good about reaching it," he said. This statement suggests a strong commitment to the new timeline, hinting that further delays are unlikely, though in the unpredictable world of game development, one can never be too certain.

The release of the second trailer for GTA 6, along with additional information from Rockstar, has fueled widespread speculation about the game's content. Some fans are even theorizing that Liberty City might make an appearance in GTA 6, either at launch or as downloadable content post-release.

As we eagerly await more details, there's plenty to explore about GTA 6, including comprehensive breakdowns of all the information uncovered so far, a collection of 70 new screenshots, and expert analyses on how the game will perform on the PS5 Pro.