At an investors’ conference, Strauss Zelnick, the head of publisher Take-Two, was asked how the release of GTA 6 is looking. The boss’s answer, that they are striving for perfection, excites many fans. That is exactly what one wants to hear.
This was Zelnick’s answer: Currently, the release of GTA 6 is announced for “sometime in 2025”, as one of the investors wanted to know more at a conference. How does Take-Two determine a release, the investor asked during the conference call with Take-Two on February 8.
Zelnick replied (via gamesradar):
“We strive for perfection and when we feel that it is creatively optimized – then it is time for the release.”
Zelnick assured the investors: “We are in this together” and there are financial bonuses that ensure the development of GTA 6 does not drag on indefinitely.
“There is an inherent tension between the two goals: to bring something [quickly] to market and to create something perfect, but our company tends towards perfection.”
Expectations for GTA 6 are much, much higher than for GTA 5
How does Take-Two view GTA 6? Zelnick had a treat for the investors. Regarding the expectations for GTA 6, he said:
“In our feeling, the expectations for GTA 6 are much, much higher than for GTA 5. On the other hand: The 195 million units that GTA 5 has sold so far are not to be underestimated. We are holding back on predictions about the title’s performance, of course, expectations are very, very high.”
How does the market react to the statements? The investors’ conference did not bode well for the market. Pre-market, Take-Two has currently lost 9.2%. However, this was likely not due to Zelnick’s statements about GTA 6, but because revenues in the current quarter had fallen by 3% and the forecast for 2024 was revised down (via benzinga).
How do fans react to the announcements? The statement “We strive for perfection” is exactly what people in the gaming reddit wanted to hear.
They believe in Rockstar to deliver. With major releases, they say they won’t be disappointed, that’s the top comment on reddit with most upvotes.
Another person said it is the old Blizzard motto: The release is “When it’s done” – that is “When it’s finished.” That is the best way to develop games.
However, others complain that Rockstar’s last release, Red Dead Redemption 2, was almost unplayable on PC – this is agreed upon, that often happens with Rockstar. The first version for console was good, the PC port was rather mediocre.
More about GTA 6: We have been waiting for GTA 6 for so long: This is everything that has happened in the last 10 years since GTA 5
