Zelnick: PC is "more and more important" to Take-Two, but no GTA VI PC date
At Take-Two's shareholders meeting today, Strauss Zelnick called PC increasingly important and confirmed GTA Online support continues after GTA VI. A PC version of GTA VI is still unannounced.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told the company's annual shareholders meeting today, September 17, that the PC platform is "becoming more and more important to our company over time." He did not confirm a PC version of Grand Theft Auto VI.
The comment came in reply to a stockholder who asked whether "the shortage of PS5 Pros" was changing how Take-Two delivers PC games. GamesRadar+ has reported that PS5 Pro consoles all but disappeared from shelves after Rockstar's GTA VI Extended Look reveal. Zelnick read the question as one about the timing of PC launches and answered in general terms:
"I assume this is a question regarding the cadence of PC launches. The strategy of the company is, over time, generally speaking, to launch for any platforms for which there's a meaningful audience. But that isn't always the case, and certainly, if platforms were no longer viable, we could change that strategy."
GamesRadar+, IGN and PC Gamer all reported the remarks. Their transcripts agree except for one word: PC Gamer has "we would change that strategy" where the others have "could".
GTA Online stays
Take-Two also said at the meeting, as relayed by IGN via ResetEra, that "we will continue to support GTA Online after GTA VI release and beyond." According to PC Gamer, Zelnick described GTA VI as "a singleplayer experience" and called GTA Online a "robust business" for the company.
Why PC waits
GTA VI launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with no PC version at launch. Zelnick has said before that this is about serving the "core consumer" on consoles, not a rumored PlayStation exclusivity deal, adding that "Historically, Rockstar's gone to console first." Former Rockstar producer John Ricchio gave a similar explanation earlier this year: "It's always better to start with the constraints and then extend."
The business case for PC is not hard to find. In May, Zelnick said PC can account for up to half the total sales of major releases. GamesRadar+ points to GTA V: the Legacy edition gathered nearly 1.9 million Steam reviews and peaked above 1.1 million concurrent players, and SteamDB-based estimates put PC sales at 50 to 90 million of the game's 230 million copies.
What is speculation
GTA V reached PC in April 2015, about a year and a half after its September 2013 console debut. GamesRadar+ speculates GTA VI could follow a similar 12 to 18 month gap. Rockstar and Take-Two have not confirmed any of this.
Separately, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy told Bloomberg that viewers will see "an even bigger" bump "next year when they launch multiplayer." PC Gamer notes it is unclear whether he was guessing or passing on inside information, and Rockstar has not announced a date for GTA VI's online mode.
