It feels like the world has changed way too much while we’ve been waiting for GTA 6 to drop. I mean, some people have literally gone from elementary school to their senior year of high school and survived puberty in the time it’s taken for this game to even get a release date. It’s nearly twelve years and counting, and still no end in sight. There have been murmurs of overseas pre-orders launching and rumors of DJ Khaled possibly getting a radio station (because we all need more of him, right?).
Regardless, how do we have all this buzz with next to no details confirmed? Gamers have been practically stalking Take-Two and Rockstar Games’ social media accounts like it’s their job, desperately pleading for any scraps of information. Well, finally, someone is giving us some answers about the GTA 6 release date and trailer 2 but fair warning: it might not be the news you were hoping for.
What is taking ‘GTA 6’ so long?
On March 28th, Zelnick appeared on Wall Street Week to discuss his role as CEO and chairman of Take-Two, and, more importantly, to shed some light on the long-awaited GTA 6 release. With Grand Theft Auto V having launched back in September 2013, fans have endured nearly twelve years of anticipation over new songs, radio stations, and missions.
However, Zelnick explained that there are two key reasons why the wait for the game has been so prolonged.
“The first is we set an intention actually to rest our intellectual property. So some of our competitors come to market very regularly, maybe even annually with their titles. We only annualize our sports entertainment titles. For our non-sports titles, we think you need to create enormous anticipation on the one hand. And, of course, on the other hand, it takes a long time to develop these big, robust experiences. Rockstar Games seeks perfection in what they do, and perfection is a pretty high bar. It takes a long time,” he said.
You can say that again. The first trailer for GTA 6 didn’t drop until December 2023, and it’s essentially been radio silence ever since — but Zelnick said there’s a method to this madness.
The ‘GTA 6’ trailer 2 is delayed on purpose
Like a parent listening to their kids’ pleas for candy, Zelnick understands just how badly the gaming community is craving GTA 6.
“The anticipation for that title may be the greatest anticipation I’ve ever seen for an entertainment property … We want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement. We do have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance. We 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. I don’t always get it exactly right, but that’s what we are trying to do,” he said.
Unfortunately, Zelnick didn’t provide any concrete release date, but whenever the GTA 6 trailer 2 does drop, it’ll be a relatively safe bet that the official game isn’t far behind.
The reactions are mixed when it comes to Zelnick’s new announcement about another detail-revealing trailer being kept from the game’s devoted fanbase.
There’s still hope that Take-Two will stay true to their word and release the game this fall—especially since the company is also set to launch Borderlands 4 (from developer Gearbox) on September 23. With some expecting Take-Two to allow the game to have breathing room before dropping GTA 6, the game might launch in October or November.
Fan theories about ‘GTA 6’ Price
As news about the Nintendo Switch 2 and upcoming titles like Mario Kart World (with digital copies priced at $80 and physical ones at $90) hit the headlines on April 2, the gaming community is bracing for what’s sure to be a major blow to their bank accounts once GTA 6 finally lands. Fans are theorizing that the recent prices for Switch 2 are a pretty good indication of how much the game will cost whenever it’s released.
While Nintendo may be testing the market for premium pricing, does this mean GTA 6 will do the same? Newzoo market analyst Tiago Reis spoke to IGN and basically confirmed what fans have already figured out. “Big hits that are highly anticipated [like GTA 6] can get away with it due to franchise recognition. Most people are not going to stop buying these games because they are $10 more expensive.” He did say that if fans are willing to wait a few months, they can get it at a discount, but most die-hard fans aren’t that price-sensitive.
Another Newzoo employee, Lauren Universe, echoed Reis’ thoughts, saying, “I expect base GTA to be at least $80, with multiple options of various increased prices (like Civ 7) that include expansions, DLCs, and ‘early access.’”
