Take-Two CEO confirms GTA 6 release date, admitting 18-month delay at Rockstar Games

A leaked Best Buy affiliate email stated that GTA 6 pre-orders would begin on May 18th. It’s still unclear whether that message was a mistake, but a third postponement looks increasingly unlikely. In a new interview, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick reaffirmed its November 19th debut. He also revealed a longer release date delay than previously reported.

A new Grand Theft Auto in 2024?

Discussing a wide range of topics, Zelnick appeared on a podcast with David Senra. The host asked the CEO to comment on speculation about another potential GTA 6 release date delay. While Rockstar Games has stayed silent about the title’s progress, the executive said he knew it would arrive in November.

Some fans are not reassured since Zelnick seemed confident before the previous delays. Still, the game may already be more behind schedule than followers realize. When addressing past disappointments, the Take-Two boss clarified, “I think we're about 18 months behind the original date.”

In February 2022, the publisher confirmed that the Rockstar project was in development. Reports suggest the title’s concept was actually decided as early as 2014. The first trailer, which premiered in December 2023, said the game was coming in 2025, before Take-Two narrowed that window to the fall season. The GTA 6 release date was then eventually pushed back twice.

It’s debatable whether Zelnick meant 18 months before its November 2026 launch or from the time of the interview. If it’s the latter case, the company may have targeted November 2024.

Preventing time crunch

A more relaxed attitude toward development could explain the shifting calendar. During the Red Dead Redemption 2 era, employees accused Rockstar of imposing 100-hour workweeks. Since then, it has pledged to reduce the time crunch studios face in meeting deadlines. The publisher has also reiterated its opposition to unhealthy working conditions.

Regardless of the reason for the delays, many fans have run out of patience. These gamers are hoping to see GTA 6 pre-orders begin on May 18th, accompanied by the third trailer. In any scenario, Zelnick is likely to provide an update during Take-Two’s May 21st earnings call.