GTA 6: Strauss Zelnick addresses delays, cost and AI

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick gave a public interview to The Wall Street Journal at WSJ Tech on November 4, 2026. The original video, published by the verified WSJ Events channel, runs for just over 23 minutes and directly covers GTA 6 development, its delays and Take-Two’s use of AI technologies.

Thumbnail of the video of Strauss Zelnick’s WSJ Tech interview. Credit: WSJ Events, on YouTube.

The budget remains undisclosed

Asked about GTA VI’s cost, Strauss Zelnick gives no figure. He only says the project has been expensive and has taken a long time. He also declines to predict how many days or weeks the game would need to recoup its cost, saying that he does not claim success before it happens.

The answer therefore confirms none of the budget estimates circulating online. It confirms only that Take-Two views development as long and costly, with no official number attached.

Why Take-Two accepted another delay

Zelnick then discusses the call in which Rockstar requested more time. He says he was unhappy with the timing of the call, but understood that the extra delay was essential rather than merely desirable.

In his view, producing the best possible entertainment can require expensive and inconvenient decisions. He adds that he does not automatically approve every delay request: in another unnamed Take-Two case, he instead decided to ship the game.

The executive also refers to a rival game that launched too early and was then withdrawn, without naming it. The interview therefore does not establish whether he meant Cyberpunk 2077, Concord or another title.

For Rockstar’s confirmed schedule, see our release date and delays overview.

“Grand Theft Auto is handcrafted”

On AI, Zelnick describes the term as ambiguous in video games. He says Grand Theft Auto is “handcrafted”, while noting that games are created with computers and technological tools.

He says Take-Two has hundreds of projects using new technology to improve creativity and efficiency. However, he adds that it is still too early to quantify the benefits and that cost savings remain relatively small against the group’s overall cost base.

His two concrete examples concern repetitive mobile-game levels and the production of advertising for mobile games. He explicitly says the advertising example was marketing, not development. Neither example concerns GTA VI development, so his comments do not confirm AI-generated content in GTA 6. You can also read our breakdown of Take-Two patents involving NPCs and technical systems.

The interview changes neither the announced platforms nor the date: Rockstar’s official website still lists a November 19, 2026 release for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.