Key Takeaways
- Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has seemingly referenced Cyberpunk 2077’s disastrous 2020 launch while explaining why Rockstar has delayed GTA 6.
- Zelnick criticized developers who prioritize release schedules over making sure their games are ready for launch.
- Although he never directly mentioned CD Projekt Red or Cyberpunk 2077, his description closely matches the RPG’s troubled release and temporary removal from the PlayStation Store.
- GTA 6 has been delayed twice, moving from its original Fall 2025 release window to May 26, 2026, and eventually November 19, 2026.
- Rockstar is sticking with November 19, 2026, as its current release date for GTA 6 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
With just two weeks remaining before Grand Theft Auto 6 finally arrives, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has offered another interesting explanation for why Rockstar Games has taken so much extra time with its highly anticipated sequel. During a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Zelnick appeared to take a subtle shot at the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 while defending the decision to delay GTA 6 rather than release it before the development team was ready.
For GTA fans, the road to November 19 has been anything but straightforward. Rockstar has pushed the game back twice, leaving players waiting considerably longer than initially expected. While the delays have frustrated some fans, Rockstar has repeatedly maintained that the additional development time is necessary to deliver the experience players expect from the studio.
Zelnick’s latest comments suggest that Take-Two understands the risks associated with launching a massive game before it is properly finished. Although he avoided naming any competing developer, his description of a high-profile game that had to be pulled from a major storefront immediately brought Cyberpunk 2077 to mind.
Strauss Zelnick Criticizes Developers Who Rush Games to Meet Release Dates
During his conversation with The Wall Street Journal, Zelnick discussed the importance of maintaining a company’s creative goals, particularly when commercial pressure and release schedules start getting in the way.
According to the Take-Two CEO, plenty of companies talk about having strong missions, strategies, and workplace cultures, but those principles can sometimes disappear when executives have to make difficult decisions. He argued that some developers become too focused on meeting an announced release date, even when their games clearly need additional development time.
Zelnick described this approach as being “slavishly devoted to a schedule,” suggesting that releasing a game on time should never become more important than ensuring it actually works as intended.
He then brought up an example from the video game industry without mentioning the developer or title directly.
“I’m not going to throw any competitors under the bus,” Zelnick explained, before describing a major release from recent years that shipped in a state where its publisher eventually had to pull it from the market because it did not work properly.
While Zelnick never explicitly said Cyberpunk 2077, the reference is difficult to miss. CD Projekt Red’s ambitious open-world RPG experienced a hugely controversial launch in December 2020, particularly on older consoles, where performance problems, bugs, and crashes quickly became a major talking point among players.
You can watch the complete Wall Street Journal interview with Strauss Zelnick to hear his comments directly.
Cyberpunk 2077’s Launch Remains a Cautionary Tale for the Gaming Industry
Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most anticipated RPGs of its generation before arriving on December 10, 2020. CD Projekt Red had spent years building excitement around Night City, its futuristic setting, ambitious gameplay systems, and Keanu Reeves’ appearance as Johnny Silverhand.
Unfortunately, the launch did not go as planned. Players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One quickly encountered serious performance problems, crashes, visual glitches, and other technical issues that made the experience considerably worse than many had expected.
The situation became serious enough that Sony temporarily removed Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store on December 18, 2020, just eight days after its release. Sony also offered full refunds to players who purchased the digital version through its storefront.
It is worth noting that Cyberpunk 2077 was not removed from every platform. Physical copies remained available, and players who had already purchased the digital version through PlayStation Store could continue playing it. However, the temporary delisting was an extremely unusual situation for such a major release.
CD Projekt Red eventually brought the game back to the PlayStation Store on June 21, 2021, following months of improvements and updates. Subsequent patches, the next-generation update, and the Phantom Liberty expansion helped transform the RPG into a much stronger experience.
Even with its eventual comeback, Cyberpunk 2077’s original launch remains one of the most recognizable examples of what can happen when a highly anticipated game reaches players before it is ready.
This is precisely why Zelnick’s comments are interesting. He did not directly blame CD Projekt Red or suggest that every delay is automatically justified. Instead, he used an example of a poorly executed launch to explain why sticking to a predetermined schedule can sometimes be the wrong decision.
For additional context, CD Projekt Red’s official announcement regarding Cyberpunk 2077’s temporary removal from PlayStation Store confirms the decision and the refund arrangement with Sony.
GTA 6 Has Already Been Delayed Twice
Rockstar’s decision to push GTA 6 back has not exactly been an easy journey for fans. The game was originally expected to launch in Fall 2025, but Rockstar announced its first major delay on May 2, 2025, moving the release to May 26, 2026.
At the time, Rockstar explained that the additional development time was necessary to deliver the game at the level of quality players expected and deserved. The announcement disappointed fans, but many were willing to accept the extra wait if it meant getting a more polished experience.
Unfortunately, May 2026 was not the final destination either.
On November 6, 2025, Rockstar announced another delay, moving GTA 6 from May 26 to November 19, 2026. This second announcement came as a surprise to Zelnick, who reportedly needed some convincing before accepting Rockstar’s reasoning.
He eventually supported the studio’s decision, recognizing that giving the developers additional time was preferable to risking a launch that failed to meet expectations.
In this case, Zelnick’s latest interview provides more insight into the thinking behind that decision. Take-Two clearly does not want GTA 6 to become another example of a massive release that creates enormous excitement but struggles to function properly when players finally get their hands on it.
Rockstar Is Still Targeting November 19 for GTA 6
Despite the previous delays, GTA 6 is currently scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. With the release date approaching, Rockstar is getting closer to finally ending one of the longest waits in modern gaming.
The game will take players back to Vice City, with the wider state of Leonida serving as its setting. The story will follow Jason and Lucia, whose criminal activities place them in the middle of a much larger conspiracy.
Expectations are understandably enormous. GTA 5 remains one of the most successful entertainment releases ever, while Rockstar’s previous projects have established a reputation for detailed open worlds and extensive single-player experiences.
That makes the pressure surrounding GTA 6 particularly interesting. Rockstar is not simply releasing another sequel; it is following up a game that has remained commercially successful for more than a decade.
A launch filled with major technical problems would be damaging, especially considering how much anticipation has built around the sequel. Avoiding that situation is likely one of the major reasons Take-Two is comfortable giving Rockstar additional time when necessary.
GTA 6’s Delays Could Be Worth It If Rockstar Gets the Launch Right
It is understandable why GTA fans have become impatient. Waiting through two delays for a game as highly anticipated as GTA 6 has not been easy, especially when Rockstar has shared relatively limited information compared to the amount of interest surrounding the project.
However, Cyberpunk 2077 provides a useful reminder that an announced release date does not always guarantee a successful launch. CD Projekt Red eventually recovered from its difficult start, but the company spent years improving the experience and rebuilding confidence among players.
Rockstar and Take-Two will obviously want to avoid finding themselves in a similar position. GTA 6 is one of the most important releases in the company’s history, and the expectations surrounding it are considerably higher than those attached to most other games.
Zelnick’s comments do not confirm that Cyberpunk 2077 directly influenced Rockstar’s individual development decisions, but the comparison makes his position clear: releasing a game simply because the calendar says it is time can carry enormous risks.
With November 19 getting closer, fans will soon find out whether Rockstar’s additional development time has paid off. After two delays and years of anticipation, the studio has a massive opportunity in front of it, and delivering a smooth launch will be just as important as everything players experience once they enter Leonida.
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