GTA 6 publisher Take-Two responds to the Google AI that sent game industry stocks crashing: Project Genie is "not even in the same ballpark" as a real game engine

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

GTA 6 publisher Take-Two responds to the Google AI that sent game industry stocks crashing: Project Genie is "not even in the same ballpark" as a real game engine News By Dustin Bailey published 4 February 2026

"Genie is not a game engine"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter GamesRadar+ Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful

Want to add more newsletters?

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

Signup +

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Signup +

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

Signup +

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Signup +

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

Signup +

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

Signup +

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!

Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter

Last week, Google gave its AI Ultra subscribers access to Project Genie, a tool that lets users generate and explore AI-generated worlds. Game stocks quickly cratered after the news, affecting even GTA 6 publisher Take-Two. The company's president does see value in Google's tech but is keen to remind investors that it's no replacement for a real game engine.

"Trying to make a comparison to a game engine is just, really – they're not even in the same ballpark," Take-Two president Karl Slatoff said in a financial call yesterday attended by GamesRadar+. "Genie is not a game engine."

If you, a person who's probably played at least one video game before, take a look at Project Genie in its current form, it'll be readily apparent that it's still quite some distance from an actual, complete game. It's light years beyond many previous interactive AI experiences, like the nightmarish Quake 2 demo Microsoft put out last year, but its generated worlds are no replacement from those crafted by actual developers.

You may like

• GTA 6 owner says "generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building"
• Grand Theft Auto and Borderlands owner Take-Two has had "success" with using AI for "mundane tasks," but doesn't see it as a replacement for actual creativity: "We are not using this as an excuse to reduce headcount"
• GTA 6 fans grab their spare pitchforks and torches as AI "leak" gets out of hand, turning 8 million views into an angry mob: "I wouldn't have thought it would go this far"

Still, "it's very exciting technology," Slatoff said. "The question is, how can it benefit our creators? I think there will be a moment in time where that will become more defined. It certainly doesn't replace the creative process."

Slatoff acknowledges that "there are limitations, and Google has said as much," especially since it's currently focused on world generation in particular, which is only one part of making a game. "Even beyond world creation, there's everything else that's involved," Slatoff said. "There's the storyline, there's emotional connection, there's vibe, there's mission structure. All of those things you cannot capture through AI, and certainly not through a world builder. That's just a very, very small component of what we do. And if this tool bears out, it will make a component of what we do all that much better and more efficient."

All those truths are obvious to anyone who's picked up a controller before, but apparently not to a wide swathe of investors. As financial site Seeking Alpha reported last week, the Genie reveal caused some massive stock drops in the game industry, with game engine maker Unity dropping 21.6%, Roblox dropping 12.3%, and Take-Two dropping 9%.

But some financial analysts are urging caution, suggesting that these sorts of AI tools are not going to replace actual game publishers. In fact, the expectation seems to be that they'll simply make development more efficient. At least, that's the idea Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick is presenting.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

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.

"We're already seeing instances where generative AI tools are driving costs and time efficiencies," Zelnick said in a recent interview, but it's not a magic bullet – after all, with GTA 6 on the horizon, he still says "generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building."

You're probably better off picking up one of the best open-world games rather than getting into Project Genie.

TOPICS Rockstar Games Rockstar 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.

View More

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more GTA 6 owner says "generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building"    Grand Theft Auto and Borderlands owner Take-Two has had "success" with using AI for "mundane tasks," but doesn't see it as a replacement for actual creativity: "We are not using this as an excuse to reduce headcount"    GTA 6 fans grab their spare pitchforks and torches as AI "leak" gets out of hand, turning 8 million views into an angry mob: "I wouldn't have thought it would go this far"    Rockstar co-founder and former GTA lead writer Dan Houser says "AI is eventually going to eat itself," and that the people behind chatbots and AI models "aren’t fully rounded humans"    Marvel Rivals owner Netease says heck no we didn't shut down our AI department or warn devs off it    Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser is making a game set in the same world as his new novel about devs who create a "self-loathing" AI, and is "dabbling" with using real AI in its development    Latest in Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 owner says "generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building"    As everyone continues to fear $80 GTA 6, Take-Two CEO wants to "deliver way more value than what we charge"    GTA 6 owner has "every reason to believe" GTA Online will continue to be supported after Rockstar's next game releases    GTA 6 physical copies will not be delayed to avoid leaks, says Take-Two CEO: "That's not the plan"    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    Latest in News Marvel Rivals owner Netease says heck no we didn't shut down our AI department or warn devs off it    Game of Thrones star joins season 2 of underrated Stephen King sci-fi show from Lost director    Google's Project Genie is "not even in the same ballpark" as a real game engine according to Take-Two    Marvel and Life of Chuck actor to star alongside Scarlett Johansson in Mike Flanagan's Exorcist reboot    World of Warcraft Midnight is the "the fastest expansion" Blizzard has ever made, with "no sacrifices to team health"    Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 players have killed more NPCs than there were people on Earth in the real 15th century    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1This Lord of the Rings card game is a puzzle-solving masterclass
2. 2Nioh 3 review: "Brutal samurai and ninja clashes across wide maps avoid retreading Elden Ring – this Soulslike is all demon killer, no filler"
3. 3Highguard review: "A fresh but muddled FPS genre mashup that needs refinement if it's to have any staying power"
4. 4This hidden role board game makes me feel like a puppet master, so Traitors fans should listen up
5. 5Cairn review: "This climber has a grip on me – even when it loses its footing with awkward systems, the challenge remains surmountable"

1. 1Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
2. 228 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
3. 3Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
4. 4Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
5. 5Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"

1. 1Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
2. 2Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
3. 3A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
4. 4Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
5. 5Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”