GTA 6 is the new center of all things gaming drama, whether it’s leakers capitalizing on the hype and feeding fake “legit” leaks to fans on 4chan or fans fueling the frenzy with speculative posts of their own. However, nothing is more dramatic than Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick making public appearances on podcasts, at conferences, or even in interviews and dropping a statement or two about the most anticipated game of the year. Similarly, the GTA 6 boss recently threw shade at “former Rockstar employees” behind MindsEye for trying to copy the coveted franchise.

Take-Two CEO Says “Former Rockstar Employees” Have Tried and Failed to Make Hits Like GTA

At the 54th annual TD Cowen Technology, Media, and Telecom conference held on May 27, 2026, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick appeared to talk about how Rockstar and the company define success for a product like GTA 6. Even though he dodged questions about the upcoming game, he assured that the company has high ambitions for the project. “Our goal is to make phenomenal entertainment”, said Zelnick about the GTA franchise.

Furthermore, Zelnick commented on why the hype for GTA 6 hype is at its peak, as Rockstar has built a GTA ecosystem over the years, and the next 10 years could look very different for a franchise like this one. But the real scoop comes from his comments when he was asked about whether Take-Two is worried that their competitors may try to make something like GTA with the advancement in AI.

Strauss commented that there’s zero evidence anyone can create a GTA 6 competitor just because of AI and said, “The folks at Rockstar seem to be able to make these massive hits, and lots of other people have tried, lots and lots, including former Rockstar employees. And so far, they haven’t been able to do so. It doesn’t mean they can’t in the future.”

While the conference attendees may take this as yet another corporate speak from the head of a video game conglomerate like Take-Two, gamers instantly recognized the shade Zelnick threw at “former Rockstar employees”. The employee in question here is former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies, who released MindsEye, the open-world title that failed miserably during launch and was heavily criticized by players.

Since neither Rockstar nor Take-Two has confirmed when the pre-orders for GTA 6 may open, Zelnick earlier this week gave a subtle hint that the Trailer 3 reveal will be made during the summer marketing, which doesn’t begin until late June 2026.