Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick was straight to the point in explaining why Grand Theft Auto VI will not be on PC when it launches. Assuming that another delay doesn’t come into play, GTA 6 is expected to launch on November 19, 2026. Now, while there had been hopes it would arrive for PC and consoles, something that has historically not happened with recent franchise releases, it sounds like that is definitely not going to happen. Zelnick recently attended the Interactive Innovation Conference in Las Vegas, where he shared the following with Bloomberg (via VGC) when asked about the upcoming launch strategy.
“Rockstar always starts on console because I think with regard to a release like that you’re judged by serving the core,” he explained. “Like, really serving the core consumer. If your core consumer isn’t there, if they’re not served first and best, you kind of don’t hit your other consumers.”
– Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two CEO
As mentioned, the GTA franchise has not typically launched on console and PC at the same time. It took nearly two years after release before Grand Theft Auto V made its way to PC, even though GTA IV had a much shorter window at eight months. However, Rockstar’s other behemoth revenue-generating franchise, Red Dead Redemption, saw the first game taking 14 years to get to PC, but the 2nd game took just over a year to arrive.
Unlike console exclusives, such as those commonly seen with Sony and Microsoft, purposely excluding mention of the locked-in Nintendo ecosystem here, Zelnick confirmed that Take-Two is not locked into any contractual obligations preventing a PC release. Simply put, he stated, “No. I mean, historically, Rockstar’s gone to console first.”
Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to not only be the biggest launch of the year, possibly the decade, but also set new world records for video game sales. Up to 25 million (per 80 LU)copies are expected to be sold within its first 24 hours of launch, 40 million in its first year of release, bringing $3.2 billion in revenue, and another $5 billion by 2030 (per GameSpot).
“It has to feel like, you know, this is real. We’re not selling hamburgers. We’re selling this unique art form,” said Strauss regarding sales expectations. That being said, this “unique art” will hit consoles in November.