Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed a pragmatic view on piracy ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6's release, stating that while he is "worried about everything all the time," piracy is less of a significant concern for interactive entertainment compared to other media. He noted that in the past, piracy rates could reach as high as 80% in the music industry.
Despite the historical challenges, Zelnick believes that the complexity and file sizes associated with modern games, particularly titles like GTA 6, make widespread piracy less feasible. He also pointed out that mandatory server connections for a quality player experience would hinder pirated versions. "Because of the file sizes and the complexity, piracy is less of an issue in interactive entertainment, but it's not been a non-issue," Zelnick said in an interview with the WSJ. "And in the event where it turns into an issue we address it in the same way every other business does, which is with legal work and then with technical work, and we'll have to do both."
Take-Two has already taken legal steps in response to the Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks, subpoenaing Discord for user information related to the incident. A court has granted this request. Zelnick emphasized the need for continued vigilance against piracy, acknowledging it as a persistent challenge for the industry.
Recent leaks have provided players with more content than intended prior to the game's official marketing push, which was initially slated to include a Netflix special, sparse previews, and a late launch trailer. The leaker had reportedly threatened further disclosures, including a full story mode build and activating a dead man's switch if legal action was taken. However, Take-Two's legal efforts appear to be progressing, with the company actively seeking to identify those responsible for the unauthorized dissemination of game content.