Strauss Zelnick emphasizes that even a powerhouse franchise like GTA requires ongoing marketing: "You must continually spark enthusiasm"

Some observers might claim that Grand Theft Auto VI doesn’t need any promotional push because the brand is already a household name. Strauss Zelnick, the president of Take‑Two Interactive, pushes back on that notion, arguing that even the most established franchises must keep their visibility high and their fan base engaged. "When you roll out a piece of entertainment that targets a broad audience, there’s no opting out of marketing," Zelnick told GamesBeat.

"You always have to go out and create enthusiasm." He drew a clear line between simple awareness and genuine excitement. According to Zelnick, it isn’t enough for people to merely know that a new GTA title exists; they need to feel a sense of anticipation about what they’re about to experience.

"Awareness is one thing; enthusiasm is another," he explained. "We have to show people what they’re going to get because, in linear entertainment, you sit there; it’s presented to you.

You don’t have to interact with it. You don’t have to install it. You don’t have to have any expertise.

You may like it, you may not like it, but it is a lean‑back experience." Zelnick also warned against trying to manipulate public opinion. "You can’t pay anyone to say something terrible is good," he said.

"Even if they’re the most craven creator on earth, the minute they do that, they lose their own audience, right? So, no one's going to do that." His point was that authenticity matters more than any artificial hype. "My point is you can’t game the system. We cannot convince people that something that’s bad is good.

What we can do is say to people, ‘Look, it’s out there. You’re being exposed to it.

It’s important. You ought to try it.’" To illustrate his argument, Zelnick compared GTA VI’s promotional strategy to the massive campaign that surrounded the Barbie movie, another globally recognized intellectual property. "All of us saw the Barbie movie, and they marketed the living daylights out of that picture even though the IP is very well known.

Secondly, it was out there for a while. We all got the joke of what it was going to be. They did a phenomenal marketing campaign.

It was really everywhere, and, by the way, it worked. You could have taken the same position with them," he noted.

He reminded the audience that Take‑Two and Rockstar have already spoken about the scale of the effort. In a prior interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Zelnick said the companies are running "a very significant broad‑based marketing campaign that reflects where audiences and attention is today." So far, the rollout for GTA VI has already taken several forms. There’s a soundtrack album that showcases the game’s musical direction, a feature story in Dazed magazine that dives into the cultural relevance of the series, and an exclusive 27‑minute preview that premiered on Netflix.

The Netflix preview alone amassed 31.1 million views within four days of its release, demonstrating the power of cross‑platform exposure. Zelnick praised Rockstar’s approach, noting that the Netflix segment blended entertainment with a tutorial element. "What Rockstar did was incredible, but there was an element of tutorial baked in there," he observed. "It just was a different kind of proposition." He contrasted this with earlier GTA marketing, which often relied on straightforward trailers or in‑game demos.

"If you look at Rockstar’s marketing previously for GTA titles, there are actual tutorials. This was just a different way of giving the same information, which I thought was really impressive. Rockstar figured out how to do that to entertain us for 27 minutes while also explaining to us how you’re going to play the game." The overarching objective, Zelnick explained, is to create a virtuous cycle of perception.

"We want to take awareness and turn it into excitement, and take the lack of awareness and turn it into awareness," he said. In practice, this means using every available channel—social media, streaming platforms, print media, music releases, and even partnerships with influencers—to keep the conversation alive and evolving. By treating even a legendary franchise like GTA as a living product that requires continual nurturing, Zelnick underscores a broader truth about modern entertainment: no matter how iconic a brand becomes, it must still earn the attention of a fragmented, constantly shifting audience.

The combination of strategic placement, authentic messaging, and innovative content formats—like the Netflix preview that doubles as a tutorial—illustrates how Take‑Two and Rockstar are adapting to those realities. In summary, Strauss Zelnick’s remarks make it clear that the success of Grand Theft Auto VI will not rest on the franchise’s legacy alone. It will hinge on a deliberate, multi‑layered marketing effort designed to spark genuine enthusiasm, educate potential players, and keep the title at the forefront of cultural conversation until the game finally launches.