Rockstar's critically acclaimed Western epic is now the fourth best-selling title of all time, edging out the kart racing behemoth.
In light of other publishers potentially moving their 2026 releases to avoid Grand Theft Auto 6, Insomniac Games is standing firm.
"We're seeking to release the most extraordinary title anyone's ever seen in the history of entertainment," says the Take-Two CEO.
"Arrogance is the enemy of continued success," says Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick, who "never takes anything for granted."
According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, the firings will lead to long-term effects like morale loss and missed deadlines.
From Sean Murray to Devolver Digital, the internet is reacting to Rockstar's second delay for its highly anticipated open-world epic.
CEO Strauss Zelnick says it's the "perfect result" of "a great narrative experience" that's "fun, somewhat contained, and at a fair price"
In the wake of GTA 6's delay, its acclaimed 2013 title is allegedly coming to the subscription service for the third time.
However, Take-Two Interactive's Strauss Zelnick believes that, "In the fullness of time, we think it's going to do great."
"Those of us who remain for now work in fear," they wrote, while denying that the fired employees leaked confidential information.
The Take-Two CEO also spoke about wanting to "give consumers as much certainty as possible" about the new release date.
“We wanted to give Rockstar the appropriate amount of time to polish the title," said Strauss Zelnick regarding the recent delay.
Rockstar apologized for the "additional time," but feels it will allow for the "level of polish you have come to expect and deserve."
"This is also a complete attack on workers’ rights and people’s well-being,” said the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain.
"This was in no way related to people's right to join a union or engage in union activities," said a spokesperson for Rockstar Games.
"Turns out a lot of people doubt you at that moment," says the Rockstar co-founder. "It’s not that fun. I think that was a lot of pressure."
“You needed guns, you needed these larger-than-life characters,” said the former lead writer and Rockstar Games co-founder.
Take-Two Interactive says they were terminated for "gross misconduct, and for no other reason," but didn't go into specifics.
“It’s a Grand Theft Auto. It’s going to be a game about being a criminal, but the way it’s going to be a game changes quite a lot."
"You end up with something pretty derivative," said Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick, who also cited concerns with IP protection.
