The release of a blockbuster like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on Game Pass does not bring the day when the crime thriller Grand Theft Auto VI and other Take-Two Interactive projects will become available for subscription at launch.
Image source: Rockstar Games
Let us remind you that Take-Two is not shy about releasing games that are already several years old on Game Pass and other subscription services (see the announcement on Mafia: Definitive Edition), but for new releases it considered such a strategy “economically impractical.”
In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick explained why he still thinks releasing the company’s new games via subscription at launch is not a good idea.
Image source: xbox
According to Zelnik, the release of a “flagship premium project” (we are talking about Call of Duty: Black Ops 6) in a subscription at the release “will push consumers towards this service, at least for a while.”
Zelnick was quick to add that Microsoft’s move will not affect Take-Two Interactive’s subscription gaming strategy: “No, it won’t affect our decisions. Because we make rational decisions.”
Image source: xbox
GTA VI is still expected to release in the fall of 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X and S. During a recent meeting with investors, Zelnick refused to answer the question of what stage of development the game is at.
Set in the Florida-inspired state of Leonidas, GTA VI will see players take on the role of outlaws Jason and Lucia. They promise “the largest and most believable world” in the history of the series.