Today, during Take-Two’s financial conference call, CEO Strauss Zelnick was asked to comment on what’s driving the record excitement for the upcoming GTA6.
During the livestreamed presentation, Zelnick provided his explanation based on the fact that the community is always actively engaged with all things Grand Theft Auto.
We also hear that the results of the market research done by the publisher on the game are “astonishing.”
“Why do I think GTA6 is so wildly anticipated? […] Grand Theft Auto V has been the standard bearer not just for our company but for our industry.
Since it was launched, it has not only survived through three console generations. It has thrived and here it is, this many years later, and still the number one title… GTA5 has sold 215 million units, and it continues to sell. Grand Theft Auto Online had a phenomenal quarter, and GTA+ is doing great.
So, consumers are actively engaged with all things Grand Theft Auto. This is an ongoing business, and yet, in terms of a new iteration, it has been some time. So there’s enormous anticipation on one hand, and on the other hand, it’s still fresh. It’s a growing market.
So, everyone anticipates the next James Bond movie, but there is nothing in between. What you have in your head is what you saw the last time around. In this case, everyone anticipates the next iteration of Grand Theft Auto, and lots of people are currently engaged today with Grand Theft Auto.
So I think that’s one sign. Obviously, 475 million views in 24 hours for the trailer tells you something… not just that it was a great trailer. It tells you something more than that.
And of course, we do market research, and the market research that we’ve done is pretty astonishing. We’re not in the business of claiming success until it happens. All we’re focused on is making the best possible entertainment here. That’s our job. The rest will take care of itself.”
Zelnick was also asked by the same analyst to comment on the $80 pricing adopted for some games by Nintendo and Microsoft, and whether Take-Two could apply it to any of its future releases (quite obviously hinting at GTA6).
The executive declined to give a specific answer, mentioning that “pricing is set at a label level in the context of the individual release.”
That being said, he added that Take-Two has been using variable pricing for a very long time and wants to deliver “way, way, way more value” to the consumers compared to the price they pay.
According to Zelnick, that’s the publisher’s job and focus, rather than top-line prices.”
If you’re interested in Take-Two’s financial results, you can check out our dedicated article from earlier today, with all the details and figures, on top of an update on sales for the publisher’s major games.
Grand Theft Auto VI, or GTA6 for short, has recently been delayed to May 26, 2026, and has been announced only for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. At the moment, a PC version has not been mentioned, which is consistent with previous iterations of the franchise.
Incidentally, speaking of the latest trailer, we heard that it was captured on a PS5, and its footage was half cutscenes and half gameplay.
