Could no physical disc and a trade union row hurt the GTA 6 launch? Take-Two’s CEO doesn’t think so

August 7, 2026 - 17:36

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick says he has no worries about the upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, despite a labor dispute with former Rockstar employees and online chatter about the game skipping a physical disc version.

Speaking to The Game Business, Zelnick dismissed both issues as non-factors for the November 19 release. "I'm not in the least concerned," he said when asked about the labor row. "How you develop the game is different from the nature of your labour relations."

The dispute involves more than 30 Rockstar staff who were dismissed after leaking information online. The Independent Workers of Great Britain has accused the company of discriminating against workers trying to unionize, and the case is heading to a UK tribunal. Zelnick pushed back on the narrative, highlighting the company's track record. "We are very proud of our labour relations. We have an extraordinary work force, 13,000 colleagues around the world. And we are proud of how people are treated and how people are compensated. We have the lowest attrition rate in the business by half, and Rockstar's attrition rate is half of that."

On the topic of GTA 6 not having a physical disc, Zelnick shrugged off concerns, pointing out that modern gaming requires an online connection anyway. "Everyone is online. You can't play new video games without being online." He acknowledged that retail has historically been a key marketing channel for the franchise, but noted the company offers code-in-a-box options. "our business is well over 90% digital."

GTA 6 is expected to become the biggest entertainment launch ever, arriving more than 13 years after GTA 5, which has sold 230 million copies. The game will get its next major reveal on Netflix on August 27, a first for the streaming platform. Zelnick also addressed the broader console market slowdown, saying the install base this Christmas will match what it was when GTA 5 launched. He remains optimistic about growth, citing the rise of PC gaming and streaming services. "We think the audience for our console and PC games could be 10X or more the size of the business today."

Take-Two's recent Q1 results beat expectations, driven by strong revenue from NBA 2K26 and Grand Theft Auto, with net bookings projected between $8 billion and $8.2 billion for the full year.