Take-Two Interactive CEO and chairman Strauss Zelnick has revealed that he’s reluctant to reveal the price of Grand Theft Auto VI and suggests people to wait Rockstar Games’ announcement in the future.
This information was disclosed by Zelnick during an interview with Variety. If you’re interested in Rockstar Games’ games, you can check out our other articles here.
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Despite Having Grand Theft Auto VI, Strauss Zelnick Doesn’t Believe Success is Guaranteed
August 9, 2025 – Speaking with The Game Business, Take-Two Interactive CEO and Chairman Strauss Zelnick was asked how he views the company’s future in the changing landscape of the games industry.
“We do not rest on our laurels. We don’t believe that success is guaranteed,” answered Zelnick. “We are looking over our shoulders. We are running scared.”
Zelnick continued, “I am fond of saying that arrogance is the enemy of continued success. We know that in the next two, three, five, ten years… there is going to be an array of big new games, and maybe even some new formats.”
“Our three-part strategy is to be the most creative, the most innovative, and the most efficient company in the business. We need to innovate to make sure we continue to be a leader.”
Zelnick added, “I am not sure specifically about what young people want versus any other segment of the population, but I am sure there is a great opportunity if you bring somebody something fantastic and unexpected.”
Strauss Zelnick Reluctant to Reveal Grand Theft Auto VI Price
When asked by Variety if Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be priced at $80, Zelnick is reluctant to answer and suggests waiting for Rockstar Games’ announcement in the future.
“So now that announcement will come from Rockstar in due time,” said Zelnick. “Our goal always is to deliver more value than what we charge, so we’ve had variable pricing at the company forever.”
Zelnick continued, “As you know, the approach of the industry is to launch at a premium price, sometimes with special editions, and over time, typically to reduce the price to enhance the overall size of the market. We do the very same thing.”
“I think, probably more than most, we’re highly focused on making sure that the experience is great, not just because the game itself is great, but also because consumers have paid a fair price for it.”
Strauss Zelnick: BioShock 4 is “Going to Come Out Without Question”
In a separate interview with IGN, Zelnick also got asked if BioShock 4 was in danger of being canceled since there was a Bloomberg report regarding the failed publisher review for the game last week.
“It’s going to come out,” Zelnick promised. “That I can say hand on heart, without question.”
Zelnick continued, “We don’t talk about how long our development cycles are. We have had some ups and downs along the way. That is accurate. And we have had changes in studio leadership.”
“That said, we have very big shoes to fill on BioShock because of the legacy of Ken Levine, the legacy of what has gone before, which has been so successful.”
Zelnick added, “And we need to make sure that this experience is true to the BioShock DNA on the one hand, and a massive step forward on the other hand. That’s always challenging. We think we’re up to the challenge, but it has not been seamless.”
It is clear from the outside that AAA game development is getting longer, which is something Zelnick not only agrees with, but also explained for.
“I think it’s a reflection of the fact that as entertainment businesses mature, consumers seek quality and everyone realizes that the consumer is highly demanding and properly so,” Zelnick said.
“The strategy of this company has always been to make the best entertainment, not necessarily the most entertainment. Of course, sometimes we’ve fallen short, but frankly, a precious few times.”
“And I think some of our competitors have realized maybe a little late in the day that consumers are not okay with okay. Good is the new bad, great is the new great. And our goal here is to make everything exceptional.”
Zelnick added that he didn’t mean to be critical of other game companies “because this is really hard stuff, and you don’t want to criticize someone for sticking with their creative talent, supporting them and trying to get a great result”.
But Zelnick did say that Take-Two Interactive “would like to fail fast if we’re going to fail”.
“And we have made some hard decisions relatively early on. But we too have occasionally canceled games well into their development. So it’s hard. What we’re all doing is hard,” noted Zelnick.
Despite Being Controversial, Strauss Zelnick Loves Randy Pitchford to Death
When asked by IGN if he gets a mini heart attack whenever Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford writes something controversial on his social media, Zelnick admitted that Pitchford can be a controversial figure sometimes, but ultimately, he’s a big fan.
“I love Randy, first of all. Let me just say that on the record,” Zelnick said. “And I love his big personality. I love his passion and he is one of the all time great game makers. He also can be controversial at times — sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. I still love him to death.”
Zelnick also got asked about the pricing for Borderlands 4, which was announced for $70, and if he had earlier plans to price it at $80. His answer is similar to what he gave to Variety when asked about Grand Theft Auto VI.
“We’ve always engaged in variable pricing and we really want to make sure that the consumer’s experience of the title is that Borderlands 4 is a great, great game, which we believe it is, and that we’re offering a terrific value at the same time,” Zelnick said.
“We always want to make sure that we deliver way more value than whatever we charge consumers, because we think of the consumer’s experience as an intersection of the thing itself and what you paid for it.”
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