And if you believe rumors of a reboot in 2020…well, it’s anyone’s guess how far back it truly began. We’re free to speculate as to why, but former audio engineer Rob Carr offered his own take on the long development cycle: The RAGE Engine, or rather, Rockstar North revamping it from the ground up.

“I’ve got zero experience,” he told Kiwi Talks in a recent interview. “I know nothing about it, other than the fact that they probably will have – given the time frame of how long it’s taken them to get to this stage, they’ve probably rebuilt the entirety of the Rage Engine. That’s the only thing I can say with real, genuine confidence.

“I’ll be amazed if they didn’t because the architecture of technology has advanced significantly since GTA 5, which again, is easy to forget. That was three generations ago. That was the last one to be released on 360 and PS3. You know, everyone forgets that because it’s still…up until recently, GTA Online was still a going concern. That’s a good tenure for a game for any game, you know, and that’s on the PS5.”

Between a former graphics programmer claiming they worked on “next generation procedural breaking glass” and rumors of realistic weather and real-time, physically simulated water, it wouldn’t be too surprising. However, it’s also possible that some things seen in Grand Theft Auto 5 could make their way over to Grand Theft Auto 6.

“There are things for sure I feel that they did in GTA 5 that they will definitely want to expand on and use as either a core mechanic or a main plot point or something in GTA 6. I’d be incredibly surprised if they don’t do anything like that. I’d be very, very surprised. But again, I’m coming in blind.”

While Red Dead Redemption 2 was mentioned as another title that Rockstar could potentially take from, Carr cited mechanics like Dead Eye from the first game and how it appeared in GTA 5. “Even on GTA 5, they took the Dead Eye system, and they used it as one of the perks.

“You’ve got the Dead Eye thing that Michael used. I think you’ve got the slow-mo driving thing for Franklin and the Berserker mode for Trevor. You know, they’re all things that, you know, key things that they’ve been used in previous sort of titles that they wanted to sort of expand upon.”

It would be interesting if certain mechanics from Grand Theft Auto Online also made an appearance (besides in what multiplayer mode Rockstar has included). For now, Grand Theft Auto 6 is slated to launch on November 19th for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. With launch marketing beginning this Summer, it’s not long before we learn more, so stay tuned.

Discovered by Reddit user Due-Vanilla-8294, these costs seemingly encompass employee wages and salaries reaching back to March 2019. The address corresponds to Rockstar North’s location, and as of March 31st, 2025, the average monthly employees is 1,744, a noticeable jump from a year prior when it was 1,658.

Of course, this likely doesn’t include marketing, and since these are only the developer’s costs, we don’t know if there are any associated with whatever support studios may be involved. Companies House also clarifies that despite carrying out “basic checks on documents received to make sure that they have been fully completed and signed,” it doesn’t possess “the statutory power or capability to verify the accuracy of the information that companies send to us.”

“The fact that the information has been placed on the public record should not be taken to indicate that Companies House has verified or validated it in any way.”

That said, if it is accurate, then this is only the expenditure as of March 31st, 2025. Imagine an additional year’s worth of costs, plus nine additional months, since Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch on November 19th. It could easily cross $3 billion, easily making it the most expensive video game ever developed. You had a nice run, Monopoly Go!, but it may be coming to an end soon.

As always, stay tuned for further updates and head here to learn more about the “next-gen” glass that Grand Theft Auto 6 will seemingly have.

Open World Structure

One of the ways Crimson Desert shines is in its overall variety of environments. Not only are there forests and plains that channel The Witcher 3, but it’s mixed with the sheer verticality of something like Breath of the Wild, and that’s only the starting area. Delesyia feels more elegant yet mysterious; the titular Crimson Desert – far from its sandstorms and desolate flats – is packed with technological developments, and the Abyss itself defies description with its various floating islands. Red Dead Redemption 2 offers many of the same environmental conditions and biomes, but with much less verticality or imaginative surroundings, so we’ll give the nod to Crimson Desert for this one. The latter also feels more like a “journey” in terms of how you’re gradually progressing, going from outright nothing to grander scenarios.

World Cohesion vs Abundance

However, there’s a dilenation between the two that’s difficult to ignore. Pywel is absolutely packed with activities and sights, mixing high fantasy with medieval times and steampunk technology. Red Dead Redemption 2’s environments are fictional, but they’re influenced by real-world locations at the dawn of the 20th century, where technology is slowly yet surely developing, and civilization is snuffing out the outlaws. One is more extensive and voluminous; the other feels more cohesive and grounded. It’s ultimately up to the player, although I would go for Red Dead Redemption 2. That cohesion is important, and the realism intertwines with the reactivity and characters to make it feel all the more alive.

Immersion vs Friction

Each game has its own kind of friction – something that pushes back against the player for different purposes. In the case of Red Dead Redemption 2, it’s getting to the more methodical controls and various systems that define Arthur’s life. It takes some time to fully acclimate to because it’s all in service of a different way of life that no longer exists. Yet everything is gradually rolled out while still feeling immersive, gradually drawing the player into its world and storytelling. Unfortunately, despite the strong opening cutscenes, Crimson Desert feels awkward in its sudden transition to Pywel while constantly dumping new systems and complex controls on the player. There is still friction in understanding how the world works, but you feel less immersed when having to remember all the controls and their different scenarios.

Exploration Payoff and Progression

If you enjoy discovering new things at an organic pace, both games are recommended, but as you’d guess, there is a catch. For Crimson Desert, it’s in finding potential new mechanics, advancing faction quests, maybe happening upon bizarre puzzles, or engaging in combat for the sake of Abyss Artifacts, resources, and potential loot. Red Dead Redemption 2, on the other hand, is more about the various stories inherent throughout the world. There are mysteries to unravel, characters with their own detailed backstories and needs, and multiple steps that either advance that subplot or lead to unique scenarios. Throughout all of this, the writing is top-notch – something which Crimson Desert lacks in spades, and the fact that some quests or discoveries don’t always feel as rewarding relative to the effort required is also annoying. I would go with Red Dead Redemption 2 in this case but it can honestly depend.

However, in terms of actual progression, Crimson Desert falters due to the sheer stinginess in certain resources. The fact that you need to spend Abyss Artifacts to upgrade gear and weapons at a fairly early point also dampens one’s excitement, especially when obtaining new items and trying to level them up enough to obtain some numerical advantage.

Combat Philosophy

Controls aside, combat really is where Crimson Desert shines, between its combos, weapon transitions, elemental enhancements and plethora of gear with unique effects. Despite significant overlap in skills, Oongka and Damiane also offer their own intriguing playstyles, whether you prefer a berserker or a melee caster hybrid. And though there are some quirks that I didn’t like – the camera during boss fights, for instance – the overall responsiveness and feel is enough to have you wanting another skirmish as soon as possible. Red Dead Redemption 2 is more down-to-earth, both in terms of weaponry and actual mechanics. It’s visceral up close and tactical from afar, which suits the era and the story it’s trying to tell. But even if it isn’t as complex as Crimson Desert, it takes significantly less time to feel comfortable with the controls.

Mission Design and Player Freedom

As mentioned previously, Red Dead Redemption 2 offers a vast spread of memorable tales. There are plenty of instances in the main missions where you have to stick to the objective or risk instant failure, but the freedom in approaching other content is pretty surprising. Even more so is how the game reacts if you do things differently – simply because the development team had the foresight to anticipate that. Outside of combat expression – like pummeling a boss with broken pillars – and maybe basic traversal, Crimson Desert doesn’t really offer much freedom in terms of its objectives or side content. Perhaps if there was more room for nuance in their objectives or interesting tales that facilitated multiple approaches. At least there’s very little restriction on where you can go, and being able to back out of boss battles whenever you want is a nice touch.

Story and Characters

No debate here: Red Dead Redemption 2 is the clear choice. The story of the Van der Linde gang, particularly of the bond between Arthur and Dutch, is so masterfully crafted that it remains one of gaming’s best. And that’s without getting into all the other memorable characters interwoven throughout, including that whippersnapper John Marston and the indomitable Sadie Adler. There’s an emotional pull throughout that’s backed by incredible writing, even if the pacing can be a little too gradual for some.

Crimson Desert lacks all of this, sadly. Sure, there are flashes throughout, but Kliff is as bland and mostly unexpressive as they come, and the actual plot feels rudimentary and lacking in any emotional weight.

AI and NPC Design

In the same vein, the non-playable characters inhabiting the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 feel alive. Almost all of them have a full 24-hour schedule, and while they might be as super-nuanced as you’d expect, it goes a long way towards convincing you that they’re actual people. Meanwhile, in Crimson Desert, despite how the AI can behave in combat (archers constantly trying to maintain distance and melee fighters not waiting their turn to attack), its characters are nowhere near as believable. Maybe if the majority had more than one line to spout while doing anything.

Traversal Mechanics

You’ll spend a good chunk of time on horseback through Pywel but it’s not the only option by far. Kliff can glide, unlock different kinds of mounts with unique properties – including the much-touted dragon – and even use a mech to wreak havoc on his surroundings. The fact that Damiane and Oongka have their own unique ways to traverse environments is also notable. Red Dead Redemption 2’s more grounded approach means that Arthur will rely on horseback, stage coaches and trains to get around. It’s more grounded, yes, but Crimson Desert wins in terms of sheer options.

Visual Fidelity

Despite its age, Rockstar’s magnum opus is still one of the best-looking games of today. Environments radiate with details while character models animate realistically, both in movement and facial expressions. The fact that it goes beyond what’s immediately apparent, incorporating various subtleties and nuances, is also a key element of its appeal, whether you’re in the middle of a heist or simply taking in the sights on horseback. Crimson Desert also looks quite good, especially with its environments, weather conditions and sheer variety. Those long rendering distances and level of detail are also nothing to sneeze at, but it falls short when it comes to animations, especially in cutscenes and dialogue interactions.

System Depth vs Elegance

At the time of its release, Red Dead Redemption 2 received significant attention for the sheer number of things that players could do. However, it was all for immersion: Shaving Arthur’s beard and maintaining his appearance to garner the respect of townsfolk, the drawn-out process of skinning prey for that more rustic feel, the list goes on. Crimson Desert offers a much more extensive feature set with its MMO-lite systems, reputation that serves as currency, sieges, expeditions, camp development, and whatnot. The problem? Not all of it feels as rich or coherent. Heck, some features feel like they’re just there to be there – see the fact that you can steal stuff and commit crimes, but it has no actual effect on Kliff’s morality or character or even on how the world views him.

There’s enough to like, but in terms of overall well-roundedness and polish, Red Dead Redemption 2 gets the nod once more.

Conclusion

When analyzed individually, Rockstar’s masterpiece remains as strong as ever. Crimson Desert does stand out in certain aspects, and others can feel a lot more subjective, especially when it comes to the kind of world that players want to explore. Competing against a legend like Red Dead Redemption 2 is no easy feat. However, at least the developers behind Crimson Desert tried their hardest while cramming a dozen other influences.

This was reportedly discovered on the LinkedIn profile of a former graphics programmer, who worked at the company from February 2020 to April 2023. They took the lead on implementing this system for vehicles and props while also being responsible for “designing tools for production to capture in-game footage with extra details from our rendering system.”

As soon as this was all discovered, however, they apparently went about wiping every single detail, only specifying that they worked on Grand Theft Auto 6 for a little over three years. If former employees signed an NDA (and you’d have to think Rockstar would mandate it), then it would make sense. After all, it’s been more than a little antsy about alleged leaks over the past several months.

Grand Theft Auto 6 will be available on November 19th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5 (barring any further delays). At this point, such an apparently detailed system for procedural breakable glass may only be one of the major details that it has in store. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months, especially as its release draws near.

He noted that, while Project Genie’s outputs can potentially “look like NBA 2K or EA Sports FC or Red Dead Redemption,” actually creating interactive game worlds tends to involve a lot more effort, and “is a completely different animal and does require human engagement [and] creativity.”

Zelnick believes that, while there is a potential use case for this AI-based technology, at least when it comes to making assets, it ultimately won’t help anyone “create hits”. Even when it comes to asset creation, he noted that there are plenty of assets available for developers to use.

“I was kind of stunned by the market’s reaction, because the market’s reaction was somehow seeing it as a threat to what we do, when it’s quite obvious that creation tools are beneficial for our industry,” he said. “I think the […] case for big entertainment companies is somehow that AI tools will mean everyone can create hits, doesn’t stand to reason.”

“These tools may help you create assets, but that won’t help you create hits. There are loads of assets out there now. It doesn’t matter if you push a button to create an asset, or it takes you six weeks, at the end of the day, you have an asset. And thousands of mobile games are launched every year, and there are a handful of hits.”

“The notion that somehow new tools would allow an individual to push a button and generate a hit, market a hit, and bring it to many millions of consumers around the world — it’s a laughable notion,” Zelnick continued. “It’s just never been the case with entertainment.”

In the same interview, Zelnick also spoke about how he isn’t too worried about the older audience for Grand Theft Auto 6 having to juggle real-life responsibilities with spending time in a massive open-world game. He noted that Take-Two Interactive has games that “appeal to all audiences,” and that fans of the GTA franchise that grew up playing 4 and 5 will be able to engage with GTA 6 just fine.

“I think we’re gonna have a lot of 17-year-olds playing GTA 6,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any risk of being like, ‘All right, yeah, if I didn’t play five or four or three or two or one, I’m not showing up.’ I think we’ll be able to engage every appropriate individual in GTA 6.”

Grand Theft Auto 6 is being developed for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and is currently slated for release on November 19th. While the franchise has traditionally also seen PC versions coming out some time after the console launch, neither Rockstar Games nor Take-Two Interactive have made any such announcement yet.

When asked how older audiences, like those who have families to handle, could get bogged down with these responsibilities and not be able to enjoy Grand Theft Auto 6, Zelnick noted that the company has many games, like the NBA 2K and WWE 2K franchises, that can “appeal to all audiences.” He continued: “Others are specifically tailored at audiences that are 17 and above, for example, GTA. We serve all audiences and we market our products appropriately to the audience in question.”

As for audiences that may have grown up playing Rockstar’s previous titles like Grand Theft Auto 4 and 5, Zelnick isn’t too worried there either.

“I think we’re gonna have a lot of 17-year-olds playing GTA 6,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any risk of being like, ‘All right, yeah, if I didn’t play five or four or three or two or one, I’m not showing up.’ I think we’ll be able to engage every appropriate individual in GTA 6.”

For fans that may have grown up as gamers, Zelnick has a message: “If you fell in love with video games at 17 and you’re 40, guess what? You still do? Play video games.”

As the open-world title gets closer to its November 19th release date for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games are also getting ready for a major marketing push. Zelnick had spoken about this last month, noting that the game’s development is on track to not see further delays, and that plans for “marketing beats” over the Summer will continue as well.

“Well because we actually, obviously, track progress daily of everything that we do,” he said when asked about how he could be so sure that GTA 6 wouldn’t see yet another delay. “And we obviously announced that we have marketing beats coming this Summer. And we don’t spend money on marketing until we’re pretty close to release.”

He went on to discuss how, despite Grand Theft Auto 6 being a massive upcoming release, the company still has to spend time and money to market it. While there is awareness of the game in the industry, he noted that there also has to be energy for it.

“I think there’s a difference between awareness and energy, and we need to create the energy,” Zelnick explained. “We do have the awareness, the anticipation is huge, it’s bigger than ever before, but in our business you do have to tell people what’s coming and our consumers wanna know that this is gonna be great and they wanna see what the visuals look like.”

A recent report of Grand Theft Auto 6‘s IDs being added to the PlayStation Store backend have lent further credence to the title sticking to its planned release date later this year.

According to PlayStation Game Size on Twitter, which has access to the back-end, title IDs for Grand Theft Auto 6 were recently added to the store. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that pre-orders will begin soon, but more that they’re potentially on track for whenever Rockstar is ready to announce them.

Launch marketing will begin this Summer, according to Zelnick, and with the Summer Game Fest showcase set for June, pre-orders could open shortly after the new trailer debuts. It also wouldn’t be too surprising if various outlets managed to go hands-on with the title, revealing even more details.

In the meantime, Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on November 19th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Despite its physical release allegedly being delayed by several weeks to prevent spoilers, Zelnick confirmed this wasn’t the case. He also assured that it wasn’t using any generative AI, and that everything was hand-built “from the ground up” by Rockstar Games.

“This game, this could be Game of the Year, okay. Mark my words,” said York about Crimson Desert, praising its open-world activities and variety from recent trailers. “And the reason for that is because of how much you can get lost in this game… it really is a contender when it comes to all the cool stuff all this game kind of has to offer.”

“If GTA VI drops the ball, [Crimson Desert] could be Game of the Year,” York added. “If GTA VI wasn’t here at all this year, [Crimson Desert] would probably take Game of the Year, from what it looks like.”

This isn’t the first time that York has spoken about Grand Theft Auto 6. Back in December, he noted that Rockstar Games is unlikely to delay the highly-anticipated yet again, since it risks losing out on much of the hype it has been generating.

“If Rockstar Games delay GTA 6 again then the hype around the game will die down almost completely. Right now, nobody is searching for GTA 6,” said York. “Everyone knows there’s no news, there’s nothing to talk about… There’s a point to where you delay something so much that you start to make people angry.”

He also spoke about the potential reasons behind the last few delays, talking about how the developers are likely working on making GTA 6 as well-polished as they can.

“If I know Rockstar Games, and I know the guys over there, one of the reasons for the delay in releasing GTA 6 is because they’re trying to make it look as best as it can possibly be,” York said. “They’re polishing stuff. I don’t think they’re completely finished with the game, given how much is on the line and how big everyone’s expectations are for it.”

York has also previously praised the trailers released for Grand Theft Auto 6, going as far as to say that tie title will likely end up looking just as good as it looks in the videos. “I’m really impressed with how far they’re bringing the graphics for an in-game kind of version of this,” he said. “A lot of times you see [cinematics used], this is not that, when you play this game, it’s really gonna look like this.”

While you wait for the November 19th release date of Grand Theft Auto 6 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, you can check out some of the details developer Pearl Abyss has revealed about Crimson Desert. In an interview from earlier this week, marketing director Will Powers discussed the game’s dynamic weather system, and how it will affect gameplay as well as cutscenes. The studio has also confirmed that the game is fully voiced by human actors.

With GTA 6 quite a long while away from its final release, I began to wonder if Crimson Desert could allow me to muster a bit of patience, leading me to think about how very different titles have more in common than you’d think. For starters, they feature multiple playable characters in a seamless open world that has a lot to do and discover in it.

Their stories are meant to be engrossing while their worlds are meant to be distracting, pulling you in a different direction than the one you intended to take when you settle down for some playtime. It’s a design philosophy that we’ve seen quite often over the years, with GTA 5 being quite a good showcase of how that formula works.

It’s quite simple, really. Just give players a massive world to explore, and all the agency they need to craft their own journey to the narrative’s climax, making fond memories along the way. It’s worked very well before, and with Crimson Desert all set for a March 2026 release, I believe that Pywell is quite an acceptable destination to live out my RPG fantasies while I wait for GTA 6 to drop after years of waiting for it.

Perhaps you’re not convinced? That’s all right. Allow me to take you through why I believe Crimson Desert is going to be a balm for my impatience in what is now the final leg of a long wait for Rockstar’s upcoming blockbuster release.

The Size and Scope of Pywell

Everything I’ve seen of Crimson Desert so far, recent showcases included, points to Pywell being an absolutely ginormous map. With five distinct regions, each with its own underlying theme and residents that reflect those themes, I can already see myself spending hours losing myself in its biomes, hunting down objective after objective while Klyff’s narrative adventure takes a backseat.

That’s already an open world that wins in my book, and the sheer amount of cool things to do in Pywell already has me cracking my knuckles in preparation for some very long gaming sessions next month. The traversal mechanics look sublime, and getting to ride a horse, glide on your own wings (sort of), or hop onto a massive dragon to soar across the lands gives me the impression that they’re all there to ensure that we’re less likely to miss out on all that this mysterious land has to offer.

It takes me back to GTA 5 and the way in which we always had a vehicle at our disposal, and could choose to obtain one based on the situation at hand. Need a quick way to weave between vehicles on the road? Get your hands on a motorcycle. Need to take to the skies for a mission? You could get your hands on a plane, no problems. I don’t see why GTA 6 could be any different, and that’s the first intersection I could think of when it came to comparing it with Crimson Desert.

In both titles, traversing the massive world you’re let loose in isn’t a matter of spectacle, or the need to add something in just because it’s cool. They’re effective tools to convey scale, and ways to give players a means of transport that would suit their tastes, or perhaps their needs in any given situation. They’re also a way to encourage exploring the world without a plan, letting the thrill of discovery become its own reward aside from useful items and loot that could enhance your character’s abilities.

But a massive world can feel very empty if there wasn’t a lot of meaningful stuff to do in it. Klyff is going to be stretched thin during his time in Pywell if the showcases are any indication. There are Greymanes to track down, old comrades to assist, areas to liberate, rival factions to contend with, activities like fishing and the like, old ruins to explore, and the Abyss and its mysteries to uncover.

Once again, GTA 6 is poised to take a similar approach, letting its players loose in a world where they can choose to do anything they decide to do. Like GTA 5, I’m almost certain that the city we’re set to explore comes with so much to do it can be hard to believe that a duo (or a trio, perhaps?) of characters are capable of tackling it all.

When seen through that lens, it’s easy to see how Pywell can be a suitable placebo for the impatient explorer in me who simply can’t wait to see what shenanigans Lucia and Jason get up to in Leonida. And that brings me to another area of similarity between GTA and Crimson Desert: the inclusion of multiple playable characters.

Experiencing the Greymane Saga

The reveal that Klyff was not the only Greymane I would be playing as in Crimson Desert had me over the moon. I love open worlds that have different people exploring them, the potential for variety and crafting varying builds being a huge draw for me.

GTA 5’s trio of protagonists were so distinct from each other, their personalities often clashing over the course of the story, while switching between them was quite seamless and also fun as you never knew where your character was going to be when you made the switch. Although that title’s combat left little room for variation thanks to the franchise’s more grounded setting, I liked that I could get creative with their loadouts and inject a bit of variance into my experience.

It worked simply because characters were not just different skins of one main protagonist. Crimson Desert might fall flat if its playable characters are too similar to Klyff but that isn’t the case. His companions are already showing off their own unique ways to get across Pywell while their combat abilities seem distinct enough to make them stand out from Klyff quite significantly.

I’m expecting that while their traversal animations might be different, the principles are going to be the same. However, I do think that their combat potential and areas that can only be explored by one or the other are going to be a part of the experience, making them feel distinct and perhaps even making me care about their stories too.

I’m hopeful that the game’s enemy and boss designs reflect their unique skill sets, making a few of them easier to tackle if you choose to take them on as a character other than Klyff. Although the developer has asserted that the main story is going to revolve around Klyff for the most part, I’m still excited to see if the three-pronged approach to its protagonist is going to be handled as well as it was in GTA 5.

GTA 6 already has two playable characters, and is likely going to let you switch between them at will as it wouldn’t make sense not to. It’s another thing that it shares in common with Crimson Desert, and is a factor that’s going to be a part of me enjoying another important facet of both experiences: the combat.

A Fight for Survival

We know that Jason and Lucia are going to have their backs to the wall in GTA 6, which obviously leads to a lot of sticky situations where diplomacy might not be enough to save their hides. But can GTA’s more grounded take on combat involving guns find common ground with Crimson Desert’s fantasy trappings? Yes, as it turns out.

Klyff might not rely on guns and grenade launchers for the most part, although the mech that was showcased recently has me wondering if Pywell is more technologically advanced than it’s letting on. We also know that building Klyff’s arsenal and skill set is going to be a journey on its own, with the freedom to mix and match your abilities to suit your own playstyle.

The two games might be wildly different in the tools you’re given to deal with your opposition, but the underlying principle is a common factor. They’re about starting from scratch and building your characters in a way that makes sense to you. That’s always a joy to behold in games that get it right and Crimson Desert looks like it’s giving you all the tools you need and more to make the most of its combat system.

It’s a great way to scratch the RPG itch that’s already beginning to set in as the days go slowly by until it’s finally time to travel to Leonida in November.

Different Games, Similar Aims

On paper, Crimson Desert and GTA 6 look like wildly different titles among the best of what 2026 has to offer. But look beyond their thematic influences and you see design philosophies that aim to present a very specific type of experience.

While I’m cautiously optimistic about Crimson Desert, I do think it’s a viable stop-gap solution for fans who can’t wait for GTA 6. It might even stand out as a fantasy-themed take on Rockstar’s own gameplay loop if the developer has indeed cooked as well as it seems to have done.

They’re both games that are going to have us pouring hours into them once we set foot into their worlds, after all. I’m excited for both of them, and I can’t wait to take on whatever Pywell has to offer over the course of this year. But for now, I must be content with patiently crossing the days off my calendar until I can join Klyff’s effort to rebuild the Greymanes.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Answering a question about how Take-Two Interactive can be so sure about the November 19th release happening, Zelnick said that “Well because we actually, obviously, track progress daily of everything that we do. And we obviously announced that we have marketing beats coming this Summer. And we don’t spend money on marketing until we’re pretty close to release.”

As for whether or not a release as big and highly-anticipated as Grand Theft Auto 6 actually needs much of a marketing push behind it, Zelnick noted that the company has to show fans how the upcoming game will look. He said that, while there is awareness of the game in the industry, there also has to be energy for it.

“I think there’s a difference between awareness and energy, and we need to create the energy,” he explained. “We do have the awareness, the anticipation is huge, it’s bigger than ever before, but in our business you do have to tell people what’s coming and our consumers wanna know that this is gonna be great and they wanna see what the visuals look like.”

Publishing a game as big as Grand Theft Auto 6 also presents its own challenges, said Zelnick, who noted that “the marketing has to be delicate. It has to feel like this is real. This is not… we’re not selling hamburgers. We’re selling this unique art form.”

Zelnick had spoken about the marketing plans being in place to kick off in Summer in a statement earlier this month. “Our execution throughout Fiscal 2026 has been extraordinary, and we are highly confident as we approach Fiscal 2027 – which promises to be groundbreaking for Take-Two and the entire entertainment industry – led by the November 19th release of Grand Theft Auto 6 with Rockstar’s launch marketing set to begin this Summer,” he said.

Interestingly, rumors had popped up last month about Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive potentially foregoing a physical release for Grand Theft Auto 6 during its launch window in order to avoid any potential leaks. However, Zelnick confirmed in a statement that there are no such plans in the works. When asked about this during a recent earnings call, he simply said, “That’s not the plan.”

The November 19th release date on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S comes after Grand Theft Auto 6 faced many delays. There have also been rumors about a potential Switch 2 version being tested. However, neither it, nor the inevitable PC release have been confirmed for the time being. Zelnick has also spoken about how GTA 6‘s development doesn’t make use of generative AI tools for any of its creative aspects.