Strauss Zelnick, the boss of Grand Theft Auto publishers Take-Two, has reassured fans that GTA 6 won’t use any generative AI.
In January, Elon Musk and Fortnite boss Tim Sweeney claimed generative AI would be able to build and release a version of Grand Theft Auto 6 before Rockstar Studios finishes the long-awaited game. Last week, Google unveiled its generative AI tool Project Gemini which has been trained on videos to create interactive worlds, with many using it to create knock off versions of Grand Theft Auto 6.
Speaking during an earnings call Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick confirmed that Rockstar are building Grand Theft Auto 6 without any generative AI. “With regards to GTA 6, generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building. Their worlds are handcrafted. That’s what differentiates them,” he explained. “They’re built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood. They’re not procedurally generated, they shouldn’t be. That’s what makes great entertainment.”
However, he did confirm that Take-Two were “actively embracing generative AI” and the publisher is currently running “hundreds of pilots and implementations” to see how they can “drive efficiencies, reduce costs and [make] mundane tasks easier, which frees up our creators to do the more interesting tasks of making superb entertainment.”
“Do I think [AI] tools by themselves create great entertainment properties? No, there’s no evidence that that’s the case and it won’t be the case in the future,” he added.
In December, the teams behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur’s Gate 3 were criticised for using generative AI in the early stages of game development.
Elsewhere during the call, Zelnick reconfirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 would be released November 19, 2026 and shut down rumours that the physical version of the game would be delayed to avoid leaks.
Marketing for the game is set to launch this summer. “We are very fortunate that the consumer anticipation for GTA 6 is huge,” explained Zelnick. “And one does have to be judicious with how one markets such an extraordinary product. Rest assured, I think you’ll be pretty astonished by the creativity that Rockstar’s marketing team brings to consumers in the coming months.”
In other news Bruce Nesmith, the lead designer of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, has shut down speculation about a potential TV adaptation following the success of Fallout.
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