Rockstar Not Revealing GTA 6 Release Date to Maintain 'Anticipation and Excitement', Says Take-Two CEO

Rockstar Games has been conspicuously silent on Grand Theft Auto 6 since the game was revealed with the first trailer in December 2023. GTA 6 is confirmed to launch in Fall 2025, but very few official details about the game are available as speculation about its release date grows. In the absence of marketing for GTA 6 ahead of launch, Rockstar parent Take-Two Interactive has now explained the secrecy around the game, saying it wants to maintain “anticipation and excitement” for the release.

GTA 6 Details to Be Shared Closer to Launch

In a new interview with Bloomberg, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said more official details about GTA 6 will be shared closer to the game's launch.

“The anticipation for that title may be the greatest anticipation I've ever seen for an entertainment property, and I've been around the block a few times, and I've been in every entertainment business there is. And we want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement,” Zelnick said when asked about the GTA 6's release date.

“We do have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance, and we've found that the better thing to do is to provide marketing materials relatively close to the release window in order to create that excitement on the one hand and balance the excitement with unmet anticipation. We don't always get it exactly right, but that's what we're trying to do,” he added.

Zelnick's comment suggests Rockstar Games is intentionally withholding information about GTA 6 to drum up anticipation for the game. The studio released the first GTA 6 trailer on December 5, 2023, following years of speculation, leaks and rumours. Fans, however, have been left waiting for a second trailer and confirmation on the game's release date.

Earlier this year, Zelnick said GTA 6 was on track to meet its Fall 2025 launch timeline. Speaking at Take-Two's third-quarter earnings call in February, he indicated the game would face no delays and launch as planned later this year.

“Looking ahead, this calendar year is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever for Take-Two, as Sid Meier's Civilization VII launched in Early Access today, with the official launch on February 11th , and we also plan to release Mafia: The Old Country in the Summer, Grand Theft Auto VI in the Fall, and Borderlands 4 before year-end,” Zelnick said at the time.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to launch on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X later this year. The game is set in Florida-inspired Leonida state, with the iconic Vice City returning to the series. GTA 6 will likely feature dual protagonists, as seen in the first trailer for the game, which focussed on Lucia, the female protagonist.