GTA 6 physical copies will not be delayed to avoid leaks, says Take-Two CEO: "That's not the plan"

1. Games
2. Action Games
3. Grand Theft Auto
4. GTA 6

GTA 6 physical copies will not be delayed to avoid leaks, says Take-Two CEO: "That's not the plan" News By Dustin Bailey published 3 February 2026

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While recent rumors suggested that physical copies of Grand Theft Auto 6 would be delayed in an effort to avoid leaks, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick himself says that's not the case. Physical media enjoyers can rest easy, as it seems we're all going to be able to pick up GTA 6 at launch.

Asked about the rumored delays to physical editions of GTA 6, Zelnick's response to Variety was simple: "That’s not the plan."

The rumor stems from a report published by Polish outlet PPE.pl, citing anonymous sources in saying that discs could be delayed anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after the digital launch. The report suggested that such a delay would likely have been due to fears of story and gameplay leaks.

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• After another GTA 6 delay he called unlikely, Take-Two CEO says "bad things happen" when games are rushed and breaks out his favorite phrase: "I'm highly confident on the new date"
• With big "this is fine" energy, Take-Two CEO says GTA 6 will be the "most extraordinary title anyone's ever seen in the history of entertainment" as latest delay sends Grand Theft Auto fans spiraling
• Take-Two CEO says "we've never regretted" a delay as GTA 6 slips again, and points to companies that ignored necessary delays "at their peril"

GamesRadar+ reached out to Rockstar for comment on the rumors at the time, but did not receive a response.

Take-Two has also doubled down on GTA 6's November 19 release date, even going so far as to start marketing the marketing. That's despite separate rumors of a potential delay, sparked largely by a misquote attributed to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier.

Meanwhile, Rockstar is embroiled in controversy around the firing of over 30 employees connected with unionization efforts. Whether that has any effect on GTA 6's eventual launch remains to be seen, but it certainly seems that Rockstar and Take-Two are confident in their current launch plans.

Grand Theft Auto 6 will define 2026 and the future of gaming, for better or worse.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Rockstar Rockstar Games Take-Two Interactive CATEGORIES PS5 Xbox Series X Platforms PlayStation Xbox Dustin BaileySocial Links NavigationStaff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

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Logout Read more After another GTA 6 delay he called unlikely, Take-Two CEO says "bad things happen" when games are rushed and breaks out his favorite phrase: "I'm highly confident on the new date"    With big "this is fine" energy, Take-Two CEO says GTA 6 will be the "most extraordinary title anyone's ever seen in the history of entertainment" as latest delay sends Grand Theft Auto fans spiraling    Take-Two CEO says "we've never regretted" a delay as GTA 6 slips again, and points to companies that ignored necessary delays "at their peril"    GTA 6 release date seems locked in at last as Rockstar owner promises "launch marketing" starts this summer    GTA 6's delay reportedly had nothing to do with recent Rockstar Games firings and alleged union busting, but it could impact production further down the line    GTA 6 will launch in exactly one year, but some fans don’t believe it: "1 year from now we will be waiting for it to come out in a year"    Latest in Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 release date seems locked in at last as Rockstar owner promises "launch marketing" starts this summer    After 21 years, GTA: San Andreas speedrunners discover a wild 31-step skip for the open-world game's original PC port    GTA 5 Online update fixes a million bugs, and now some players will no longer randomly spawn in the ocean    Grand Theft Auto 6 will define 2026 and the future of gaming, for better or worse    GTA 6 studio "open and operational" following boiler malfunction, Rockstar confirms    Terminally ill GTA 6 fan with 6-12 months to live has been put in touch with Rockstar about playing the game early    Latest in News Borderlands 4 Switch 2 port looks dead as Gearbox parent Take-Two "pauses development"    GTA 6 physical copies will not be delayed to avoid leaks, says Take-Two CEO: "That's not the plan"    Baldur's Gate 3 Shadowheart and Gale star in Magic: The Gathering's new D&D Secret Lair before they inevitably sell out    Oblivion Remastered studio worked on Fallout season 2, so Bethesda might as well toss them a Fallout 3 remaster    Bethesda veteran would be "shocked" if Amazon's Fallout TV show makes the studio "any money they care about"    PC gamers and Steam customers are "a really bright spot" as the games industry struggles with prices, analyst says    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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