GTA VI Will Be a Historic Smash Hit, but Investors Criticize Take-Two Over “Years of Delays, Unmet Expectations, and Reliance on a Small Number of Major Franchises”

GTA VI is just around the corner and, if everything goes according to plan, we will have it in our hands in approximately 2 months. Excitement is in the air, but at least one investor in the company is dissatisfied with the management of its leadership team. Strauss Zelnick, head of Take-Two, disagrees with those complaints.

The new game from Rockstar Games will officially launch on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series X|S, and the first reports are quite encouraging. The open-world title is expected to sell millions of copies in its first hours and generate historic revenue for those responsible for it.

Take-Two Interactive Shareholder Lashes Out at Company Over GTA VI Delays

Grand Theft Auto V debuted in 2013, so around 13 years have already passed since we saw the release of a new game in the franchise. And while we did get the award-winning Red Dead Redemption 2 in the meantime, it is clear that fans are very eager to enjoy the next installment in the crime-themed series.

That said, it seems that Take-Two Interactive shareholders are even more impatient. During the most recent virtual meeting, an investor asked a hostile question in which they expressed their frustration with the long wait for Grand Theft Auto VI and the leadership team’s overall management.

“Many shareholders have tolerated years of delays, unmet expectations, and continued reliance on a small number of major franchises. If these issues persist, do you believe the board will conclude that the current management team is still the right one to lead the company, or are you willing to replace senior executives if operating performance and shareholder value creation do not improve?” the investor asked.

While it is difficult to know what the investor meant by “unmet expectations,” it is easy to see why shareholders might begin to lose patience with the absence of the Grand Theft Auto series. GTA VI was supposedly going to debut late last year, but the project has been delayed twice since then.

Furthermore, it is undeniable that Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games are increasingly relying on the same franchises. Strauss Zelnick, CEO of the company behind Grand Theft Auto VI, agrees that he will replace the company’s management team if the board determines that its performance is inadequate.

However, the head of Take-Two disagrees with the shareholder’s complaint and claims that, ultimately, he and his team saved the company from bankruptcy almost 20 years ago.

Head of Company Behind GTA VI Defends Himself Against Investor’s Criticism

“I disagree with your characterization in the question: when this management team took over the company in March 2007, the company’s revenue was less than $1 billion,” Strauss Zelnick commented during the most recent virtual meeting with investors.

The executive described the problems the company was facing 2 decades ago. “The company was under investigation by at least 4 government entities, had not filed annual reports in 13 months, and had not scheduled an annual meeting, despite being obligated to do so,” he recalled.

Strauss Zelnick claims that Take-Two Interactive had only one major franchise in the Toronto metropolitan area, while the rest of the business was losing money. He also stated that the company “was on the brink of bankruptcy” at the time.

Now, almost 20 years later, the company is expected to generate as much as $8.2 billion in revenue this year, largely thanks to the release of Grand Theft Auto VI. The executive also pointed out that GTA V has consistently remained among the 5 best-selling games for 13 years.

GTA VI is still scheduled for later this year, and Strauss Zelnick has already made it clear that a last-minute delay is unlikely. Meanwhile, it is rumored that the PC port and multiplayer mode will arrive at some point in 2027.