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

Back in February, I had the opportunity to ask Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, about the confidence level in meeting the then-projected fall 2025 release date for GTA 6. At that time, he expressed a strong sense of assurance, stating he felt "really good about it." Fast forward three months, and as many might have anticipated, GTA 6's release was postponed to May 26, 2026.

Curious about what shifted in such a short span, I revisited the topic with Zelnick during a new interview aligned with Take-Two’s latest financial results. He explained that as GTA 6 approached its launch, the necessity for additional polish 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 elaborated. “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.”

The delay of GTA 6 into the next financial year is a short-term setback for Take-Two's financial projections, but Zelnick remains optimistic about the company's future lineup. This includes eagerly anticipated titles like Gearbox's Borderlands 4, Hangar 13's Mafia: The Old Country, and new entries in the NBA 2K and WWE 2K franchises.

“I feel really good about how Fiscal 26 looks sitting here today,” Zelnick affirmed. “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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With the new release date set, I posed the same question to Zelnick once more: How confident are you that Rockstar will meet the May 26, 2026, deadline? This time, his response carried even more certainty:

“I think historically when we set a specific date, generally speaking, we've been very good about reaching it.”

This statement seems to suggest a firm commitment to the new release date for GTA 6, although in the unpredictable world of game development, nothing is ever guaranteed. A further delay would indeed be surprising given this level of confidence.

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

While we await further details, there's plenty more to explore about GTA 6, including all the latest discoveries, a collection of 70 brand new screenshots, and expert analysis on how the game might perform on the PS5 Pro.