Rockstar Boss Reveals Why GTA 6 Release Is Taking So Long

It has been a long wait for Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6), and Rockstar Games' boss revealed the big reason why. 

For literal years, the question of when GTA 6 will be released has been a hot-button topic amongst fans. Rockstar's latest open-world crime epic has been teased to be coming in 2025, but, even that date remains in question. 

No matter when the game is released, it will mark a new record for the GTA franchise, coming more than 12 years after the release of its last mainline entry. 

Rockstar Boss Clarifies Long Grand Theft Auto 6 Wait

Rockstar Games boss Strauss Zelnick finally pulled the curtain back on why GTA 6 is taking so long to release. 

Speaking on a TV appearance on CNBC the Take-Two Interactive CEO commented on the long wait for Rockstar's latest open-world game, saying the studio's "desire for creative perfection" is the reason "it takes a long time:"

"What Rockstar games puts into all of their titles is a desire for creative perfection, which is why it takes a long time, why it’s complex, nervous-making. We don’t claim success until it occurs."

He added that both he and the team "couldn’t be more excited" about the upcoming release, failing (again) to disclose exactly when it will come out:

"'GTA VI,' what can I say, enormous anticipation both inside our company and in the marketplace as a whole. We couldn’t be more excited."

"We are trying to be the most creative, the most innovative, and the most efficient company in the entertainment industry," Zelnick remarked, reiterating that this drive for perfection is not just Rockstar mandate but something that spans the whole Take-Two portfolio:

"We are trying to be the most creative, the most innovative, and the most efficient company in the entertainment industry. Our teams are really committed to that, not just the words but the actions. And the results speak for themselves."

The Real Reason GTA 6 Has Taken So Long

While Strauss Zelnick's comments fail to shed any further light on when GTA 6 will be released, they do reveal a bit of where Rockstar's head is but also the mindset of Take-Two Interactive as a whole. 

The simple truth is that the reason Rockstar has not released GTA 6 yet is because it has not needed to.

In the same interview, Zelnick mentioned that GTA V is the biggest game in the publisher's over-thirty-year history, selling over 210 million copies with an incredibly successful ongoing monetization strategy thanks to the continued popularity of the game's online mode (which is set to continue with GTA 6).

This has essentially afforded Rockstar a new level of time to perfect the next entry in the GTA 6. 

Some have even speculated GTA 6 reached a near-final state over a year ago, with the last 18 months or so before release being simply to refine and shave off any rough edges before release—something not every game gets. 

GTA 6 is expected to be a gargantuan hit (possibly even bigger than GTA V) no matter when it is released, and it seems Take-Two knows that.

Does that mean the game will hit 2025? It certainly seems as though Rockstar is teasing that will be the case, but as referenced in Zelnick's quotes, they are in no rush to hurry it out the door. Ultimately, GTA 6 will come out when it is ready.

GTA 6 is expected to be released in 2025.