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

Back in February, I had the opportunity to speak with Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, about the confidence level surrounding the then-anticipated fall 2025 release of Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6). At that time, Zelnick expressed a high level of confidence, stating he felt "really good about it." However, just three months later, the release was postponed to May 26, 2026, which perhaps wasn't surprising to many.

Curious about what prompted this delay, I recently interviewed Zelnick again, especially in light of Take-Two's newly released financial results. He explained that as the development of GTA 6 progressed closer to its initial launch date, 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 said. "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 fiscal year poses a short-term challenge for Take-Two's financials. Despite this, Zelnick remains optimistic about the company's upcoming projects, including Borderlands 4 from Gearbox, Mafia: The Old Country by Hangar 13, and new entries in the NBA 2K and WWE 2K franchises.

"I feel really good about how Fiscal 26 looks sitting here today," he stated. "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."

GTA 6 Jason Duval Screenshots

View 6 ImagesWhen I revisited the question of confidence in hitting 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."

This statement suggests a strong belief in meeting the new deadline for GTA 6, although he stops short of guaranteeing it. Given the game now has a concrete release date, another delay would be quite unexpected.

The release of the second trailer for GTA 6, along with additional information from Rockstar, has fueled widespread speculation about what fans can expect from this highly anticipated title. There's even talk among the community that Liberty City might make an appearance in GTA 6, either at launch or as downloadable content post-launch.

As we eagerly await more details, you can explore our extensive coverage on GTA 6, including all the latest discoveries, a gallery featuring 70 new screenshots, and expert analysis on how the game might perform on the PS5 Pro.