GTA 6 Delay Was Costly but Right, Says Take-Two Chief
Take-Two Interactive's chief executive says the delay of Grand Theft Auto VI was expensive and inconvenient, but was the right call for the game. Strauss Zelnick, who is also the company's chairman, made the comments in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, as GameSpot reported on 5 November 2026.
The game is published by Rockstar Games, Take-Two's studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series. Take-Two has scheduled its release for 19 November 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, the two current consoles from Sony and Microsoft.
Zelnick told the paper that the game was costly and took a long time to build. He said Rockstar aims to make the most impressive entertainment experience it can. He also said he will not claim success for a game before it has launched, adding that arrogance is the enemy of continued success.
The interview also touched on a game that shipped on schedule despite problems and was pulled after launch because it did not work. Zelnick did not name it. GameSpot's report suggests he may have meant CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077, which was removed from Sony's PlayStation Store, the digital shop for PlayStation consoles, after a difficult launch.
Zelnick also said he had refused a request for extra development time on another Take-Two project. He told that team the game was shipping. Shipping means a game is released to players.
What makes the timing stand out is the money. Take-Two has said it expects its fiscal 2027, the financial year running into 2027, to set new records for operating performance, driven by the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI. Zelnick had already discussed preorders, the advance orders players place before a game comes out, on CNBC's Squawk Box in August 2026.
For players, the key facts are the date and the platforms. The game arrives on 19 November 2026, and the company has said it will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
