More than a year has passed since the first trailer for GTA 6 in December 2023, and there is hardly any news about the game. In an interview on Youtube, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick speaks about the frustration of fans regarding the lack of information and the long wait.
What does the boss say? In a Youtube interview with Conner Mather, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick talks about his work and his life, but also specifically about GTA 6. He states that he understands that fans are a bit frustrated
because Rockstar keeps quite tight-lipped about the game.
But at the same time, it is also the company’s philosophy to wait until a title is ready
before they release the game. The developers at Rockstar are trying to create something that has never existed before:
Our teams focus on what is new and what they have not even thought of yet. You think you’re looking forward to something specific, but what it will be is much bigger and much better and more exciting and more beautiful than you ever could have imagined.
You can get a first impression of the vision that Zelnick describes here with the first trailer of the game:
GTA 6 is worth the wait
What else does Zelnick have to say? Conner Mather also addresses the high expectations of the fans in the interview. Zelnick explains that they are absolutely aware of it.
The biggest (gaming) hits are the ones that are not based on something, but bring new, surprising elements: You expected this here, but what it becomes is much bigger and much better and much more beautiful
.
Fan feedback is very important, but you cannot rely solely on the data. Game development is not just a business; it is art and emotion. In response to another question, he explains that the developers at Rockstar also work very creatively. You should not only look at past successes and the numbers, but also need creative freedom.
When asked how Zelnick would describe GTA 6, he says: I think [GTA 6] will be exceptional and is worth the wait.
The game will be breathtaking
.
What about the release of GTA 6? Currently, the release of GTA 6 is scheduled for Q3 2025, so July to September. However, the release window is by no means fixed. In September 2024, the first rumors came up that the game might not be released until 2026.
In fact, Rockstar Games has repeatedly delayed their games in the past: GTA 5 was released six months later than planned. Red Dead Redemption 2 even a whole year. With Strauss Zelnick’s statement that the developers want to wait for the release until the game is ready, the CEO reassures his developers.
In the past, games have repeatedly been released that would have benefited from a few more years of development. In 2021, CD Projekt Red released Cyberpunk 2077 in an extremely buggy state. Only in 2023, with the release of the DLC, was the development fully completed. Nevertheless, there was recently a new patch. The developers are likely to really only release their next game, Witcher 4, when it is ready. More on this game, you can read here: The Witcher 4 is not a sequel despite the title, but you do not have to fully say goodbye to Geralt
