GTA 6 steers clear of the AI Craze: Take-Two insists its development doesn’t rely on AI

Amid the current AI craze, Take-Two has made an unusual decision regarding the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI that has come as a major surprise. The company has let go of its AI director and part of his team, while clarifying that with GTA 6, Rockstar remains committed to a primarily artisanal approach in which human creativity continues to be the cornerstone of the game. That said, its CEO, Strauss Zelnick, believes that generative AI can be used as an internal support tool.

Take-Two fires its AI chief and a large part of the team, but defends the value of craftsmanship

In early April 2026, Take-Two carried out an internal restructuring that led to the departure of its director of artificial intelligence, Luke Dicken, along with several key team members, as reported by Kotaku. This move appears to reflect a shift in the company’s technology strategy, as it seeks new ways to integrate AI into its development processes. The move came as a surprise given Strauss Zelnick’s previous statements, in which he mentioned that they were implementing many generative AI processes in development.

Despite the layoffs, the company does not categorically reject the technology; rather, it views it as yet another supportive tool within its production pipelines—one that in no way replaces the human creative work that continues to set the course for its productions. On the other hand, barring any last-minute surprises, this restructuring is also not expected to have a direct impact on the development of Grand Theft Auto VI, which is still scheduled for release on November 19, 2026.

According to Zelnick, generative AI “is used solely as a tool,” but never for creative aspects, which implies ethical and reasonable use. Therefore, its open world, characters, missions, and narrative would continue to be the result of the manual work of its various teams. The goal, as Take-Two and Rockstar have repeatedly emphasized, is to maintain the standard of quality and attention to detail that has made their games true benchmarks within the industry.

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