After the latest delay of GTA 6, rumors quickly spread that the game might be postponed again. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has now clearly denied this.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is one of the most anticipated video games of all time. The fact that public interest in the latest installment of the open-world series is enormous is also evident from the fact that even the major mainstream media reported on the last postponement in November. Our editor-in-chief Heiko was therefore invited to appear as an expert on ZDF.
It wasn’t just the fans who were disappointed by what is now the second postponement – for the rest of the gaming industry, too, the postponement of a release of this magnitude means major upheaval.
Doubts about the new release date
GTA 6 was originally scheduled for release in November 2025, and many publishers had adjusted their release calendars accordingly. The fact that the Rockstar title has now been postponed for the second time by six months means that the competition has to reschedule again – because no one wants to release an AAA title in the same month as GTA.
However, in the weeks following the postponement, rumors circulated online that GTA 6 might be postponed again. Even well-informed industry insiders were unsure at the beginning of 2026 whether GTA 6 was already content complete
, i.e., finished in terms of content, and could therefore be released at the end of 2026.
A large number of resignations at Rockstar’s UK offices also recently raised doubts as to whether the sequel would be ready in time.
CEO promises “groundbreaking” fiscal year
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick now wants to put an end to these doubts once and for all: During an investor call to present the latest financial results (Q3 2026), the head of the GTA publisher has now reconfirmed the planned release date of November 19, 2026, and also announced that the marketing campaign for the game will start in the summer:
Our performance throughout fiscal year 2026 has been exceptional, and we look forward with great confidence to fiscal year 2027, which is expected to be a landmark year for Take-Two and the entire entertainment industry, led by the release of Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, for which Rockstar will begin marketing efforts this summer.
– Strauss Zelnick (CEO, Take-Two)
A year ago, Zelnick was also confident about the planned GTA release in November 2025; in an interview with IGN, the publisher boss now says he feels very good
about the new release date: Every time you approach a marketing milestone, you are in a position where your confidence is as high as it can possibly be.
In an interview with Variety, Zelnick also denied rumors that GTA 6 would initially forego a physical version for fear of leaks. Although the risk of leaks is taken very seriously, such a measure is not the plan,
the CEO assured (via Insider Gaming).
However, Zelnick did not mention anything about the release of a possible PC version of GTA 6 during the recent investor call. Instead, the CEO hinted that Take-Two plans to continue developing content for GTA Online even after the console release of the latest installment. The game remains relevant for the publisher. You can read more about this in the link box above.
It may be a while before the next official information about GTA 6 is released. However, it seems that we can at least look forward to a new trailer for the gangster sequel in the summer.
