Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, confirmed in an interview with Business Insider that generative AI played ‘absolutely no role’ in the development of GTA 6. Every building, street, and neighborhood in the game was meticulously crafted from scratch by the Rockstar Games team. He stated: ‘The world they built was entirely handmade—building by building, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood. That truly represents their core strength.’ GTA 6 is set to launch on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, marking an 18-month delay compared to the company’s original internal target of spring 2025. While neither the standard nor the premium edition prices have been officially confirmed, estimates suggest they could be priced at $69.99 and $119.99 respectively; a major global marketing campaign is slated to kick off this summer.
Zelnick’s stance does not imply Take-Two outright rejects AI—the firm has rolled out enterprise versions of ChatGPT and Claude for staff use, while around 200 internal projects explore AI applications in testing, optimization, and productivity. However, he draws a clear line: AI is acceptable as a support tool, but replacing human-led creative efforts with AI is unacceptable. ‘I don’t believe tools alone can craft truly great entertainment experiences, nor is there currently any evidence supporting such claims,’ Zelnick remarked. When asked about Elon Musk’s earlier suggestion that AI might one day produce a game comparable to GTA 6, Zelnick quipped that, by the same logic, AI could also replace CEOs. Rockstar’s ability to steer clear of generative AI shortcuts partly stems from GTA V’s continued multi-billion-dollar earnings since 2013, allowing the studio to absorb delays without resorting to cost-cutting measures to expedite production.