GTA 6 Release Date "Probably Doesn't Matter," Anticipation Reaches "Fever Pitch" - Take-Two

As part of Take-Two's latest earnings briefing, CEO Strauss Zelnick discussed Grand Theft Auto VI's release window and commented on how he's observed a "fever pitch"-level of excitement for the game.

Asked if there is a benefit to releasing GTA VI during the holiday period--when video game sales in general are known to spike--Zelnick said GTA VI would likely be a success whenever it releases due to the massive amount of hype behind it. He did, however, admit that Fall 2025 is preferable to other periods of the year.

"While it probably doesn't matter, I think we'd all rather be in the release window that we're looking at now," the executive said.

Previously, GTA VI was set for release at an unspecified point in 2025, but now it's lined up to launch specifically in Fall 2025. It's worth noting that pretty much every Rockstar Games release gets delayed, so it's possible GTA VI might slip like GTA V and Red Dead Redemption II did before it.

Also during the call, Take-Two management said the company expects to have sequential growth following the release of GTA VI, which struck some as odd or even unbelievable. That's because GTA VI is expected to generate an enormous amount of money for Take-Two, making for a difficult comparison during the next fiscal year. An analyst pointed out that Take-Two experienced sequential declines following the launches of GTA V and Red Dead Redemption II. So how will things be different this time? Zelnick said "it's a fair question," going on to note that the video game business has "really changed" since Red Dead Redemption II and GTA V came out years ago.

He said Take-Two will post sequential growth due to the company's pipeline of titles that includes other major releases (though he did not name any outright). He also said he expects GTA VI to keep selling well for years after launch, just as GTA V did and continues to. For example, in the past three months of 2024, GTA V sold another 5 million copies, which is more than most games sell in their lifetimes.

"We actually think there is a compelling case that the full game sales [of GTA VI] will continue to be robust for years to come. Equally, we have a pipeline both announced and unannounced that's very exciting," he said, further noting that Take-Two now owns Zynga, which brings in tons of money on a level the company didn't have when GTA V and Red Dead Redemption II released.

Not only that, but Zelnick pointed out how Take-Two plans to expand its business to new geographies. He said Take-Two currently mainly does most of its business in the US and Western Europe, but he believes there are "enormous opportunities" for growth in Asia, India, and Africa.

During the call, Zelnick was pressed to answer why Take-Two has so much confidence that GTA VI will be a hit. There is obviously a huge amount of hype behind the game, but Zelnick also reminded everyone that the data shows astonishing ongoing growth for GTA V and GTA Online more than a decade after the game came out.

"I think we feel as though the market's anticipation is at a fever pitch. And of course expectations are very high everywhere in this boardroom and all around the world for the perfection of what Rockstar typically delivers," Zelnick said.

Finally, Zelnick said GTA VI has the makings of being another big hit because the current-generation console market is already big and growing bigger still. Citing data from IDG, Zelnick said there are around 81 million current-generation consoles sold, with projections for 111 million by the end of 2024 and 175 million by the end of 2027.

Zelnick said he doesn't necessarily believe these numbers and projections will turn out to be accurate, but he does believe the console market is still growing. He also pointed out how he expects GTA VI to have a "very significant attach rate" for consoles. Zelnick was asked if GTA VI might help draw lapsed gamers back to the market, but he did not answer this question outright.

Keep checking back with GameSpot for more GTA VI news as it's announced.