Although GTA 6 already enjoys high awareness, it will still undergo extensive marketing before its release. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that the focus of the promotional efforts is to convert player awareness into enthusiasm, with the recently released 27-minute showcase also serving a partial tutorial function.
In an interview, Zelnick revealed that some investors had asked why the company needed to spend so much on marketing when almost everyone already knew about GTA 6. He explained that knowing about a product is not the same as being passionate about it. In the weeks leading up to the release, Rockstar needs to further stir up market attention.
When discussing the promotion of major entertainment titles, Zelnick cited the movie Barbie as an example. He pointed out that although Barbie was already a globally recognized brand, the film still underwent extensive promotion before its release. Take-Two faces a similar task: converting widespread awareness into actual hype.
Content creators will also participate in the game's marketing. Zelnick believes that audiences typically trust the streamers and creators they follow long-term, and collaborating with them can drive word-of-mouth promotion. However, this approach relies on creators maintaining their audience's trust; even with commercial partnerships, they cannot be expected to praise subpar products.
Zelnick also shared the design philosophy behind the 27-minute "Deep Dive" video for GTA 6. This content was not just a lengthy gameplay showcase; Rockstar subtly incorporated tutorial elements, allowing viewers to learn how the game plays and progresses while watching.
The video was initially exclusive to Netflix for six hours before appearing on Rockstar's other official channels. Zelnick believes this collaboration benefited all parties involved and represented an unconventional marketing attempt by Rockstar.
GTA 6 is scheduled for release on November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. As the launch date approaches, Rockstar will continue to push its promotional campaigns.