The release of GTA VI is set for the Fall season of 2025, a date that could most certainly have some fluidity to it. To put it another way, it’s entirely possible that Take-Two and Rockstar don’t meet their goal of a Fall 2025 launch window for the game. While that is possible, there’s a good chance that a delay isn’t going to happen. If you missed the initial statements, Take-Two Interactive recently held its latest earnings call and published the accompanying report from it back on May 16.
In the report, Take-Two stated that it and Rockstar were shooting for a Fall 2025 release date for GTA VI, the franchise’s next big game. This might not have been a huge surprise. After all, in its official trailer that was released on December of last year, Rockstar ended the trailer by saying that GTA VI was “coming in 2025.” So this was a time frame that all viewers were already expecting. Of course, delays happen in this industry and there are numerous big projects to serve as proof of that.
There was also some speculation that GTA VI may end up delayed until 2026. This was based on analyst predictions, who based those predictions on expectations of a downward turn for Take-Two’s 2025 fiscal reporting. Those predictions were also about ten days before Take-Two officially confirmed the Fall 2025 release. And now, the publisher is doubling down on that time frame.
Take-Two CEO says the company is confident the GTA VI release will stick to Fall 2025
In a recent interview with CNBC, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick was asked about the timing of the release for GTA VI. Specifically, Zelnick was asked how the publisher knows what the timing is going to be creatively. “Is it a judgment call? Is it an obvious logistics call? Talk about the timing of the release,” Carl Quintanilla of CNBC’s ‘Money Movers’ said. Zelnick responded by saying that there are elements that can be used to measure the release timing of a game. Such as bugs. With regards to the release of GTA VI, Zelnick says that “it’s not really about bugs. It’s about creating an experience that no one’s seen before.”
Zelnick continued by saying that while there is “slippage in the industry and Take-Two isn’t immune from that,” the company is highly confident in the timing of a Fall 2025 release window. Which is why it narrowed the timing down from 2025 to the Fall of 2025.
Strauss Zelnick (Take-Two CEO) was interviewed by CNBC on #GTA6
– The game was internally delayed because rockstar seeks perfection, it’s going to be a game NO ONE has EVER seen before. pic.twitter.com/6rMF374VgR
— Dyllie (@_Dyllie_) May 19, 2024
Setting the bar high
GTA VI will without question be one of the gaming industry’s most-loved games, or so it would seem thus far. It’s certainly one of the most anticipated. And judging from fan responses after last year’s official trailer drop, it’s a safe assumption people are going to love it.
Take-Two and Zelnick are setting the bar high, however. Each new GTA release has introduced new elements and features. But they are for the most part all fairly similar in terms of gameplay. GTA V was perhaps the most breakaway release due to the inclusion of GTA Online. People still play it to this day and GTA V came out initially on the PS3. More than 10 years ago. So it makes you wonder what GTA VI is going to include that allows it to deliver an experience that no one has seen before.
Whatever that experience happens to be, fans can probably expect the GTA gameplay they’ve come to know and love in addition to whatever never-before-seen experiences there are.
2024-05-22 15:06:53