Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick has talked a little more about the publisher’s recent decision to delay the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 into May next year, saying the game was pushed back to ensure developer Rockstar could ‘achieve its creative vision with no limitations’.
GTA 6’s release was narrowed down to “fall” 2025 last May, and Take-Two was still sticking publicly sticking to that target as recently as February this year, despite persistent rumblings of a delay. However, those reports ultimately turn out to be true earlier this month when Rockstar announced it would be shifting GTA 6’s release to 26th May next year, saying it needed “this extra time to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve.”
A few weeks on and Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick has now shared his own perspective on the delay decision. “As we get closer to completion of a title that’s seeking perfection,” he told IGN, “the needs or lack thereof, for continued polish become clear. 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.”
“And while of course, delays pain me — how could they not?,” Zelnick added, “the most important thing to do is to support your teams in their search for perfection.” As to the possibility of a further delay for Grand Theft Auto 6, Zelnick implied that was unlikely to happen when asked. “I think historically when we set a specific date,” he noted, “generally speaking, we’ve been very good about reaching it.”
While GTA 6’s delay is perhaps not the absolute ideal for Take-Two, the company still has a busy release slate heading into the new financial year, with the likes of Borderlands 4, Mafia: The Old Country, and new NBA 2K and WWE 2K instalments on the way. Fans, meanwhile, have a new trailer to pore over and there’s a lot packed in there.