Back in February, I asked Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick about his confidence in hitting GTA 6's then-targeted fall 2025 release window. He expressed feeling "really good about it." However, just three months later, as perhaps anticipated by many, GTA 6 was delayed to May 26, 2026.
What shifted in those few months? I revisited this question with Zelnick in a new interview following Take-Two's recently released financial results. He explained that as GTA 6 approached its launch, the need for additional polish "became clear."
"As we get closer to completion of a title that's seeking perfection, the needs or lack thereof, for continued polish become clear," Zelnick stated. "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."
GTA 6's delay, pushing it outside of Take-Two's current financial year and into the next, represents a short-term setback for the company's financial projections. However, Zelnick remains optimistic about the future, citing upcoming releases like Gearbox's Borderlands 4, Hangar 13's Mafia: The Old Country, and new entries in the NBA 2K and WWE 2K series.
"I feel really good about how Fiscal 26 looks sitting here today," he 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."
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The obvious follow-up question is a repeat of my February inquiry: how confident are you that Rockstar will meet the May 26, 2026 deadline? This time, 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 suggests a strong commitment to the new release date for GTA 6. While it's never wise to say never, the announcement of a specific date implies a high level of confidence in meeting it. A further delay would be quite unexpected.
The release of GTA 6 Trailer 2 and the accompanying information from Rockstar has fueled speculation about what fans can expect from what will likely be the most anticipated video game ever. Some GTA enthusiasts even speculate that Liberty City might feature in GTA 6, either at launch or as post-launch DLC.
As we await further updates, there's plenty more to explore on GTA 6, including all the details we’ve uncovered so far, a collection of 70 brand new screenshots, and expert analysis on how GTA 6 will perform on the PS5 Pro.
