GTA 6 leak didn’t affect business, says Take-Two CEO, but an ’emotional issue’

The eighth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto franchise is probably the most anticipated game in gaming history. It’s been nearly a decade since Grand Theft Auto V was originally released on consoles, and it’s now been two generations. Rockstar Games has confirmed that they are hard at work on GTA 6, but no word on a release date. Last year, eager fans got an unauthorized look at the upcoming game when leaks showed in-development footage of the next GTA. The leak included GTA 6’s gameplay, characters and open-world setting, raising concerns about the impact it could have on the game’s publisher. Just as Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, reported its latest earnings report (slightly below its target), the company said the leak had no adverse impact on its business.

In an interview with IGN, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said the leak was an “emotional issue” rather than a business issue. “We do take leaks very seriously, and they’ve let us all down, and it’s really frustrating and upsetting for the team,” Zernick said. “However, as a business matter, we are not affected. But as a personal matter and an emotional matter, our team is affected.”

Last September, Rockstar Games suffered a massive leak that leaked in-development gameplay footage for GTA 6. The leak, which appeared on a popular GTA forum, includes more than 90 videos showing two playable characters, Lucia and Jason, all but confirms that the next Grand Theft Auto installment will have a female lead.

The leaked video went viral on multiple social media platforms, and Take-Two Interactive began filing a copyright claim to take the video down. At the time, Rockstar issued a statement saying they were “very disappointed” to share any details about their next game in this way.

Earlier last year, after years of speculation, Rockstar Games finally revealed that they were working on the next major entry in GTA. “We’re pleased to confirm that active development is underway on the next entry in the series,” the studio said in an online post last February.

Years after its release, GTA 5 is still as profitable as ever, and the game is still a hit. According to a report by IGN, the game has sold a total of 175 million copies after last quarter’s sales.