Take-Two Emphasizes New IPs as Key to Success in Gaming

Take-Two Interactive, parent firm of GTA 6 developer Rockstar Games, has shared a peek into their future strategies moving forward with their key games.

Take-Two Interactive Aims To Consistently Create New GamesGTA Publishers Can't Depend On Legacy IPs Indefinitely

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Grand Theft Auto (GTA)'s parent company Take-Two Interactive, has opened up about his current outlook in handling the company's IPs during the company's Q2 2023 investors call.

In response to a question regarding consumers' behavior and reception to new projects, Zelnick acknowledged that they are most well-known for their legacy IPs which include titles from developer Rockstar Games such as the GTA and Red Dead Redemption (RDR) series. However, in addition, Zelnick shared that he envisions the company's future wherein their legacy IPs won't hold the same value for them, nor for players, compared to now and how it was over the past two decades since the games' releases.

According to transcriptions by PCGamer, Zelnick commented on more potential sequels for GTA and RDR, saying, "We know that if we put out a sequel, it's a lower-risk proposition than brand-new intellectual property. But everything degrades. And even though most of our franchise sequels tend to do better than the previous release—and we're really proud of that because that's not standard for the industry—the truth is there is this thing called decay and entropy. It's a feature of physics and human life and everything that exists on earth."

He added that he is of the opinion that if the company does not try new things and make new IP, Take-Two runs "risk of burning the existing furniture to heat the house." He explained, "And so ultimately, everything does decay, including hit titles. So if we're not trying new things and making new intellectual property, we're—to say that we're resting on our laurels really understates it. We're really running the risk of burning the existing furniture to heat the house. And that doesn't end well."

Updates on Borderlands 4's and GTA 6's Release Date

However, so far as releases of venerable IPs go, Zelnick told Entertainment Tonight in an interview that they intend to space out momentous game releases. "I think it’s safe to say that we wouldn’t, and no one would, stack up colossal releases unnecessarily," he said. As Take-Two has yet to narrow down the launch window for GTA 6 to a specific release date in the autumn next year, Zelnick additionally remarked that it will not be anywhere near Borderlands 4's release date, which is slated in spring 2025/2026, between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.

Take-Two Interactive's New FPS RPG Slated for 2025

Currently, Take-Two with its subsidiary developer, Ghost Story Games, is slated to release a new IP—its story-driven, first-person shooter RPG, Judas. Though a release date for the game has yet to be confirmed, Judas is expected to come out sometime in late 2025. Moreover, Judas aims to be an experience where players influence how relationships and the story unfold, according to creator Ken Levine.