Take-Two CEO: GTA 6 Delay 'Painful But Needed'

Back in February, I asked Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick about his confidence level regarding GTA 6's original fall 2025 release window. His response was unequivocal: "really good about it." Fast forward three months, and perhaps predictably, Rockstar announced a delay pushing GTA 6's launch to May 26, 2026.

What caused this change in plans? During a recent interview coinciding with Take-Two's latest earnings report, I posed this exact question to Zelnick. He explained that as development progressed, the studio recognized significant opportunities for additional polish.

"When you're approaching the finish line on a title striving for perfection, the requirements for final refinements become increasingly apparent," Zelnick noted. "This situation presented an opportunity where a relatively small additional development period could ensure Rockstar Games delivers their complete creative vision without compromise. Naturally, I fully supported this decision."

While the delay impacts Take-Two's short-term financial projections by pushing GTA 6 into the next fiscal year, Zelnick remains optimistic about the company's upcoming portfolio. This includes major titles like Gearbox's Borderlands 4, Hangar 13's Mafia: The Old Country, plus new iterations of their NBA 2K and WWE 2K franchises.

"Our fiscal 2026 outlook remains extremely promising from where we stand today," Zelnick emphasized. "While delays are never ideal—how could they be?—our top priority must be supporting our development teams in their pursuit of excellence."

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This naturally led me to revisit my original question: How confident is Zelnick about hitting the new May 2026 target? His response carried even greater conviction this time:

"Historically, when we've established specific release dates, we've demonstrated remarkable consistency in meeting them."

This statement strongly suggests—without outright guaranteeing—that Rockstar doesn't anticipate further delays. While unexpected developments could always arise, now that GTA 6 has an official launch date, any additional postponement would prove genuinely surprising.

The recent release of GTA 6's second trailer and accompanying details has fueled widespread speculation about what players can expect from what will undoubtedly become the highest-profile game launch in history. Some enthusiasts speculate that Liberty City might appear in GTA 6 either at launch or through post-release content.

While we await official confirmation, we've compiled extensive GTA 6 coverage including all currently known gameplay details, a collection of 70 recently released screenshots, and technical analysis predicting GTA 6's performance on PS5 Pro hardware.