The big Strauss Zelnick interview: GTA, AI, Roblox and building the biggest entertainment company in the world

Strauss Zelnick used the interview to reinforce Take-Two’s core strategy: make the biggest hits, not chase every trend. On GTA 6, he stayed tight-lipped but confirmed a major marketing push is coming, and that it will look very different from GTA 5’s 2013 campaign. He specifically said network TV will play a much smaller role this time, reflecting how audience attention has shifted.

The other big theme was AI, though Zelnick prefers calling it “technology.” His stance is that tools should help teams create better work, not automate creativity away. He said Take-Two has a couple hundred projects exploring how new tech can improve production, but none are existential bets. He also pushed back on the idea that AI is responsible for tech layoffs, arguing those cuts were really about overhiring and poor headcount management.

For developers, the most practical takeaway is how Take-Two is balancing risk. Mobile is still about half of the company’s business, Zynga remains important, and the publisher is aiming for only three to six scaled mobile releases a year rather than flooding the market. At the same time, Take-Two is staying away from platform plays like Roblox and from smaller AA bets as a primary business model, because its operating model is built around blockbuster outcomes.

Zelnick also framed leadership stability as a competitive advantage, pointing to low senior attrition and a long-tenured management team. That matters because Take-Two is trying to absorb misses without losing momentum, while still backing projects like Mafia: The Old Country, Judas, and Project...