"We are looking over our shoulders. We are running scared": Take-Two CEO says the GTA publisher's success isn't guaranteed and "we need to innovate to make sure we continue to be a leader"

Two bikers posing with a revolver and a motorbike in Grand Theft Auto 6 area Ambrosia
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Despite owning one of the most beloved and enduring video game franchises of all time, and gearing up to release what could feasibly become the biggest video game launch ever, Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive is keenly aware that success is never a guarantee.

GTA 6 is due to release on May 26, 2026, and it's undoubtedly the most anticipated game on the horizon. Whether Take-Two and Rockstar will stick the landing is anyone's guess, particularly with an estimated development cost of $1.5 billion and Zelnick himself saying "Rockstar Games is trying to create the best thing anyone's ever seen in entertainment," but the winds are definitely in Take-Two's favor at the moment.

Regardless, Zelnick recently told The Game Business that Take-Two is hyper aware of the unpredictability and competition that exists in the industry.

"We do not rest on our laurels," Zelnick said. "We don't believe that success is guaranteed. We are looking over our shoulders. We are running scared. I am fond of saying that arrogance is the enemy of continued success. We know that in the next two, three, five, ten years… there is going to be an array of big new titles, and maybe even some new formats."

Of course, while GTA is Take-Two's most profitable IP, the holding company also owns 2K and Zynga, which means it holds the keys to several other long-running franchises like BioShock, Borderlands, Civilization, WWE 2K, NBA 2K, and a huge suite of mobile games. Even if GTA 6 doesn't live up to expectations, the company will have other chances to innovate.

"Our three-part strategy is to be the most creative, the most innovative and the most efficient company in the business. We need to innovate to make sure we continue to be a leader."

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Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

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