“Leaked” GTA 6 call excites players for release date, but it’s just not real

Michael Gwilliam
gta 6 logo loading screen ai

GTA 6 fans are freaking out over a supposedly leaked audio call featuring Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick revealing the game’s announcement and release date, but it’s likely fake.

Rockstar’s long-awaited return to the GTA franchise has been a wild one, with hundreds of “leaks” with only a handful proving to be accurate.

While leaked gameplay confirmed a return to Vice City, new weapons, and a female protagonist, Rockstar has still yet to officially announce GTA VI despite dropping some big hints.

In early September, a seemingly leaked audio call surfaced appearing to confirm GTA 6’s reveal and release date before being taken down due to copyright reasons. So, is the video real or fake?

GTA 6 release “leaked” in audio call amid announcement speculation

On September 2, X/Twitter account ‘GTA 6 SPAM’ posted an audio recording of Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick discussing the next installment in the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

In the clip, Zelnick reiterated previous talking points about fiscal 2025 being a big payday for the company before claiming that Rockstar would be announcing the game on October 23, 2023 while the game would be released on October 24, 2025.

While this clip definitely got fans excited, especially after it was taken down due a “copyright report,” there are a handful of issues with the audio that gave players pause.

For one, Zelnick refers to GTA 6 as “V I,” saying the roman numerals out loud instead of “six.” Additionally, this clip could very easily be faked with AI, as many others have suggested.

Another key thing to factor in is Fiscal 2025 ending in September 2025, so the release date doesn’t line up with Zelnick’s previous comments.

That said, signs are actually pointing to a release happening in 2024 or early 2025, as stated by the real Zelnick during a recent interview, so we may not actually have much longer to wait.

We’ll just have to wait and see when Rockstar finally ends up revealing GTA VI as rumors of an imminent announcement continue to spread.

About The Author

Michael Gwilliam is a senior writer at Dexerto based in Ontario, Canada. He specializes in Overwatch, Smash, influencers, and Twitch culture. Gwilliam has written for sites across Canada including the Toronto Sun. You can contact him at michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com or on Twitter @TheGwilliam