In a latest interview, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed that he has absolute religion in Grand Theft Auto 6, and is not frightened about gamers who’re new to the franchise being unwilling to interact with it. Actually, he says he cannot consider any purpose a grown grownup with a console would not buy Rockstar’s upcoming sport.
“I feel we’re gonna have loads of 17-year-olds enjoying GTA 6,” Zelnick stated (by way of The Game Business.) “I do not assume there’s any threat of [them] being like, ‘Oh, I did not play [GTA] 5, or 4, or 3, or 2, or 1, I am not displaying up [for 6].’ On the contrary, I feel we’ll have the ability to have interaction each acceptable particular person in GTA 6.”
GTA 6 will nearly actually be rated M for Mature (supposed for ages 17 and up) by the ESRB, so the 17-and-up age group is Take-Two’s goal demographic, and Zelnick says the sport can have no drawback cornering the market. Actually, he cannot think about a world the place an grownup with entry to a console would not need to play GTA 6.
“By the best way,” Zelnick stated, making direct eye contact along with his webcam. “If in case you have a console and also you’re over 17, simply clarify to me how it’s that you’ve got determined, ‘No, no GTA 6, [I’m] not ?'”
As for gamers probably growing older out of video games as they become old and have much less free time as a consequence of jobs, households, and different duties, Zelnick says it merely is not taking place.
“It is not taking place,” he asserted. “We keep engaged with the sort of leisure we fell in love with at 17. Give it some thought, if I say to you, ‘What sort of music do you want?’ Like everybody else, you will say, ‘Oh, I take heed to every little thing.’ That simply is not true, by the way. But when I say, ‘Okay, you are by your self, you’ve gotten an hour, and all you are going to do on this hour is take heed to music,’ and [I say] that I would like you to have the absolute best time and essentially the most enjoyable time, you’ll take heed to the music you listened to on the age of 17.”
Zelnick did not cite a particular examine, however appeared assured GTA 6 might be successful with teenagers and adults alike, claiming Take-Two is just rising its viewers (and its capital) as grownup gamers proceed enjoying as they age, and youthful gamers get into video video games for the primary time.
“When you fell in love with video video games at 17 and also you’re 40, guess what you continue to do?” he continued. “Play video video games. That’s the reason the [gaming] cohort is constant to develop as we age. I do know [gaming investment advisor] Matthew Ball does not imagine that, however our expertise right here at Take-Two is that we’re benefitting from trade tailwinds.”
However Zelnick admits this continued progress hinges on GTA 6 getting constructive reception.
“We solely profit to the extent we make one thing nice, after all,” he stated.
Zelnick additionally addressed Take-Two’s method to AI in its video games, claiming it is used to extend effectivity, however might by no means do the work of people, and {that a} sport like GTA 6 merely couldn’t be created by AI.
“It is a laughable notion,” he stated of the concept. “It is simply by no means been the case for leisure. Definitely there are leisure companies which are technically much less strong than interactive entertainment–for instance, music. And proper now there are packages that assist you to put in a immediate and get a ‘professionally’ recorded music spit again out at you. And it seems like a music, however I defy you to take heed to it greater than as soon as.”
Initially meant to reach in Fall 2025, the sport was later delayed to Might 26, 2026. It’s at present scheduled to reach on November 19, 2026. Take-Two Interactive was one among many online game publishers represented by the IMA Negotiating committee through the SAG-AFTRA online game performers’ strike, by which performers fought for higher work situations, together with AI protections.