Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says GTA VI needs to be 'marketed aggressively

Diego Argüello,Contributing Editor, News,GameDeveloper.com

September 17, 2026

schedule2 Min ReadImage via Rockstar Games

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive, says that Grand Theft Auto VI still needs to be "marketed aggressively" despite global brand awareness.

The statement comes from an interview with GamesBeat, which took place in a fireside chat at the GamesBeat Insider event yesterday. The CEO used the Barbie movie as an example of a big, recognizable property tie-in that still had a robust marketing campaign behind it, despite the brand familiarity.

"You always have to go out and create enthusiasm," Zelnick says. "So, awareness is one thing; enthusiasm is another thing. And we have to show people what they're going to get because, in linear entertainment, you sit there; it's presented to you. You don't have to interact with it. You don't have to install it. You don't have to have any expertise. You may like it, you may not like it, but it is a lean-back experience."

Zelnick notes that marketing times is similar to TV and movie marketing to a point, in the sense that everyone strives for positive reviews and fan excitement. Games, however, can also be elevated by creators with long-following audiences. But there are limits to this.

"You're amplifying word of mouth because what you can't do is pay anyone to say something that's terrible is good," Zelnick says. "Even if they're the most craven creator on earth, the minute they did that, they lose their own audience, right? So, no one's going to do that."

The CEO adds that you can ask a creator to exclusively play a game for a couple days, and reward said promotion. Yet, he emphasizes that you can't game the system.

"We cannot convince people something that something that's bad is good. What we can do is say to people, 'Look, it's out there. You're being exposed to it. It's important. You ought to try it."

Zelnick's comments regarding the strategy and culture at the company comes at a time in which Rockstar is undergoing an union busting tribunal in the UK. This has been the culmination of Rockstar firing 34 workers (31 union members and three non-members) across the UK and Canada last year, over what the studio claimed as gross misconduct related to the leaking of confidential information. Those impacted, however, alleged they were dismissed for engaging in trade union activity.

GamesBeat didn't raise the topic with Zelnick during the Q&A.

The legal drama and highly-anticipated launch of GTA VI have led to an exceptional amount of interest in the company's goals and financial future. For his part, Zelnick says the company's mission is to make the "best entertainment on earth," which remains its focus to this day.

"We have a mission statement and a strategy and a culture. It’s all stated. We have to state it here. We say it every time we talk internally, and it starts with trying to make the biggest and best hits."

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About the Author

Diego Argüello

Contributing Editor, News, GameDeveloper.com

Diego Nicolás Argüello is a freelance journalist and critic from Argentina. Video games helped him to learn English, so now he covers them for places like The New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, and more. He also runs Into the Spine, a site dedicated to fostering and supporting new writers, and co-hosted Turnabout Breakdown, a podcast about the Ace Attorney series. He’s most likely playing a rhythm game as you read this.

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