Back in February, I had the chance to sit down with Take-Two's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, to discuss the much-anticipated release of GTA 6, initially slated for fall 2025. At the time, Zelnick expressed strong confidence, stating he felt "really good about it." Fast forward three months, and as many might have predicted, GTA 6 faced a delay, pushing its release to May 26, 2026.

Curious about what led to this shift, I recently revisited the topic with Zelnick in an interview coinciding with Take-Two's latest financial results. He explained that as the game neared completion, the necessity for additional polish became evident. "As we get closer to completion of a title that's seeking perfection, the needs or lack thereof, for continued polish become clear," Zelnick remarked. He emphasized the importance of allowing Rockstar Games the extra time needed to fulfill their creative vision without compromise, a decision he fully supported.

"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," Zelnick added.

The delay of GTA 6 into the next fiscal year poses a short-term challenge for Take-Two's financial outlook, but Zelnick remains optimistic about the company's future. He highlighted upcoming releases including 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 stated, while acknowledging the pain of delays but prioritizing support for his teams' pursuit of perfection.

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Naturally, my next question echoed my earlier inquiry from February: how confident is Zelnick that Rockstar will meet the new release date of May 26, 2026? This time, his response carried an air of even greater assurance: "I think historically when we set a specific date, generally speaking, we've been very good about reaching it." While not explicitly ruling out further delays, his statement suggests a strong belief in hitting the target. Given GTA 6 now has a concrete release date, another delay would be a significant surprise.

The release of GTA 6 Trailer 2 and accompanying details from Rockstar have ignited widespread speculation among fans about what to expect from this monumental game. Some enthusiasts speculate that Liberty City might make an appearance in GTA 6, either at launch or as post-launch DLC.

While we eagerly await more information, there's plenty more to explore about GTA 6, including all the details we've uncovered so far, a collection of 70 new screenshots, and expert insights on how GTA 6 will perform on the PS5 Pro.