Back in February, I asked Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick how confident he was about hitting Grand Theft Auto 6's original Fall 2025 release window. He told me he felt "very optimistic." Just three months later, and perhaps unsurprisingly, GTA 6 was pushed back to May 26, 2026.
So, what happened during those few months? That’s the question I put to Zelnick in a new interview following Take-Two's latest earnings report. He explained that as development progressed, the need for additional polish "became evident."
"As we near completion on a title striving for perfection, the necessity—or lack thereof—for continued refinement becomes apparent," Zelnick stated. "In this case, we identified an opportunity: with just a bit more time, we believed we could ensure Rockstar Games fully realizes its creative vision without compromise. I fully supported this decision."
While pushing GTA 6 beyond Take-Two's current fiscal year into the next is a short-term financial setback, Zelnick expressed continued confidence in their upcoming lineup. This includes Gearbox's Borderlands 4, Hangar 13's Mafia: The Old Country, and new installments in the NBA 2K and WWE 2K series.
"From my perspective today, I feel very positive about Fiscal Year 2026," he remarked. "Of course, delays are disappointing—how could they not be?—but the top priority is to support our teams in their pursuit of perfection."
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The natural follow-up question was a repeat of my query from February: How confident are you that Rockstar will meet the May 26, 2026 date? This time, Zelnick sounded even more definitive.
"Historically, when we announce a specific release date, we have a strong track record of meeting it," he noted.
To me, that's as close as you can get to saying GTA 6 won't be delayed again without explicitly stating it. While nothing is ever guaranteed, now that an official date is set, another postponement would be quite surprising.
The release of the second GTA 6 trailer and Rockstar's accompanying details have fueled widespread speculation about what to expect from what is poised to become the biggest video game ever. Some fans even speculate that Liberty City could appear in GTA 6, either at launch or as post-launch downloadable content.
While we await more news, we have extensive coverage on GTA 6, including a compilation of all the details uncovered so far, a collection of 70 brand-new screenshots, and expert analysis on how GTA 6 will perform on the PS5 Pro.
