Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has clarified the circumstances behind his unexpected playable appearance in WWE 2K26, stating that the decision was a personal one and that fans will not see him in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6. Zelnick revealed to IGN that he initiated his inclusion in WWE 2K26 by directly asking the development team, rather than due to significant player demand.
"I asked, and then I went on the soundstage, and I did motion capture and we all had fun with it," Zelnick explained. "But no, this was a rare moment where I said, ‘I think this would be fun. Let's do this.’ And everyone's like, ‘Okay.'" He added that he has an affinity for WWE and thought the appearance would be amusing for those familiar with the industry and potentially some players.
The executive acknowledged the somewhat bewildered online reaction to his in-game character, admitting, "After all, a lot of people played it, as it turns out, it did very well. But the online response was sort of like, ‘Huh?’ Which I think I deserved."
Despite the novelty of his WWE 2K26 cameo, Zelnick firmly stated that he will not be featured in GTA 6. The highly anticipated title is set to launch on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. A detailed look at GTA 6 is scheduled to be presented on August 27 via Netflix, an arrangement that has drawn criticism from some due to the perception of the latest trailer being paywalled.