Take-Two CEO Addresses Possibility of Another 'GTA VI' Delay
Strauss Zelnick also touched on the reason behind the highly-anticipated game’s postponement.
Summary
- Take-Two CEO is confident GTA VI will meet its May 2026 release date
- The delay aimed to “polish” the game for Rockstar’s creative vision
- Despite a previous analyst warning, the CEO feels good about the current timeline
The CEO of Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games‘ parent company, feels confident that Grand Theft Auto VI will release on the new scheduled date of May 26, 2026.
CEO Strauss Zelnick told IGN that GTA VI‘s delay stemmed from the studio’s desire to “polish” the highly-anticipated game. “As we get closer to completion of a title that’s seeking perfection, the needs or lack thereof, for continued polish become clear,” he explained. “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.”
IGN further shared that back in February, Zelnick felt “really good” about the game’s initial Fall 2025 release window. He has the same sentiment this time around, “I think historically when we set a specific date, generally speaking, we’ve been very good about reaching it.”
The exec stated that although GTA VI’s new date falls outside of the current financial year, he retains his positive outlook. They still have the releases of Borderlands 4, Mafia: The Old Country and new installments in the NBA 2K and WWE 2K franchises. “I feel really good about how Fiscal 26 looks sitting here today,” Zelnick said. “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.”
Earlier this week, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier warned that another GTA VI delay is not out of the question. “There’s no guarantee that May 2026 is a sure thing,” Schreier wrote. He also revealed that a developer working on a “big multiplayer game” had to delay their title’s release to Spring 2026. While it was mostly because they needed more time, they also did not want to compete with Rockstar’s release.
