Rockstar takes firm stance on using generative AI in GTA 6

“Specifically with regards to GTA 6, Generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building.”

15:02, 04 Feb 2026Updated 15:03, 04 Feb 2026

Take-Two has revealed whether Rockstar used generative AI to create GTA 6.(Image: Rockstar Games)

AI in game development is a hot topic at the moment with developers admitting to using it catching plenty of flack from their fans. This is despite more than 36% of game studios now using AI in some way as part of their development workflows, a recent study confirmed.

With C-suite execs touting the efficiency gains of using AI, you’d have thought that a massive title such as Grand Theft Auto 6, which is rumoured to have been in development for over eight years at this point, would be first in line to adopt the technology.

However, the CEO of Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has put out a clear statement about the use of generative AI to create GTA 6 – or rather, lack thereof.

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In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Strauss Zelnick says, “Specifically with regards to GTA 6, Generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building.”

Zelnick goes on to explain that this is part of what makes the worlds that Rockstar Games creates so special. “They’re built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood,” he says. “They’re not procedurally generated, they shouldn’t be. That’s what makes great entertainment.”

The lack of AI use in GTA 6’s development “makes sense” from a timeline perspective, as one Reddit user points out. Much of the busywork that had the potential to be sped up by AI will have already been completed by Rockstor before AI technologies became mainstream.

GTA 6 is due to launch on November 19, 2026.(Image: Rockstar Games)

Still, this will no doubt be music to the ears of GTA fans who are strictly against the use of AI in game development.

Zelnick’s statement comes shortly after Take-Two Interactive’s stock took a massive hit following the release of Google’s Project Genie tool. Capable of generating 60-second snippets of playable worlds, it spooked investors into thinking that manual asset creation is out and game design by prompts is in.

Take-Two’s stock price is currently down $38 versus where it was before Google Genie was launched.

However, just because Rockstar isn’t using generative AI to make GTA 6 doesn’t mean Take-Two isn’t exploring its possibilities. “We’re already seeing instances where generative AI tools are driving costs and time efficiencies,” Zelnick explains later in the interview.

He caveats that by saying that he thinks “[AI] tools don’t replace creativity”, giving some hope that Take-Two intends to integrate AI workflows without replacing the heart of what makes their games interesting.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is due to launch on November 19, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. According to Zelnick, Take-Two is confident that Rockstar is still set to hit that release date target.