Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick stated in an interview that he is "completely confident" in the new release date.
We wanted to give Rockstar enough time to perfect the game and make it as good as possible.
Zelnick emphasized that games that receive more time for refinement demonstrate how "correctly used" that time was. At the same time, competing companies that release projects before they are ready face "failures."
This is not the first time Zelnick has stated specific deadlines — in May 2024, he was "confident" in a fall 2025 release, then in May 2026. Plans in development can change, and not everyone gets extra time.