Take-Two CEO Breaks Silence on EA's Mega $55 Billion Deal
Strauss Zelnick, the Chief Executive Officer of Take-Two Interactive, has finally shared his perspective on the monumental $55 billion acquisition of rival Electronic Arts (EA) by a consortium of investors. During Take-Two's recent earnings briefing, Zelnick expressed uncertainty about how this potential shift could impact the competitive dynamics of the video game market, a market where his own company is the creator of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6.
"We're Always Running Scared": Zelnick's Cautious Stance
Zelnick made it clear that he is "not sure" how the market will transform if EA, which is expected to be bought by a group led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) along with Affinity Partners and Silver Lake, transitions into a private entity. An analyst pointed out that if this deal finalizes, Take-Two would stand as the last major publicly traded video game company of a significant scale in the United States.
Dismissing any notion that EA going private would automatically be a boon for Take-Two, Zelnick stated, "We're always running scared around here. I'm fond of saying arrogance is the enemy of continued success. And I do think we're in a terrific position. We're performing much better than expected economically, and that's because we're performing better than expected creatively, and that's always our story around here."
In a separate comment, Zelnick acknowledged that EA's move could give Take-Two "a bit of room from a competitive point of view," but he was quick to add that it is far too early to draw any definitive conclusions. He emphasized his belief that a healthy industry thrives with multiple strong players, not just one. "We wish our competitors well. A good business is well served by having powerful players, not just one powerful player. So, it's possible that the competitor landscape shifts a bit; it's also possible nothing changes at all. Either way, we have to do our job, which is make the very best entertainment on earth," Zelnick noted. It is important to remember that the sale has only been announced and is not anticipated to close until 2026.
GTA 6 Faces Another Setback, Now Arriving in November 2026
In a key update from the same earnings report, Take-Two confirmed another significant delay for Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6. The game's release, which was initially slated for Fall 2025 and then pushed to May 2026, has now been officially moved to November 2026.
Rockstar Games issued a statement addressing the extended wait, saying, "We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve."
Simultaneously, the studio has been embroiled in controversy after it terminated several employees at its UK offices. Rockstar described the dismissals as a result of "gross misconduct" related to leaking confidential company information. However, a UK labour union has contested this, claiming the employees were actually fired for their attempts to form a union.
