Take-Two Interactive is braced for the inevitable: That Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be pirated. In a recent statement, CEO Strauss Zelnick outlined Take-Two's readiness to combat piracy with technological and legal measures. This commitment is significant because it reflects the publisher's recognition of the likely extent of unauthorized play and its investment in minimizing this problem. If you buy the game, you can expect these efforts to manifest in the security measures around your purchase.
Take-Two CEO outlines legal and technical measures to combat inevitable piracy of Grand Theft Auto VI
The next instalment is due out for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026. Zelnick looks to the movie and music industries for examples of industries that have successfully managed piracy issues. He draws attention to the inherent difficulties that modern games, with their large file sizes and system complexity, present to those who want to release pirated versions. Technological complexities make it more difficult for pirates to ensure their versions work across various systems.
Furthermore, the regular development updates introduce a further complication for pirated versions. Every update requires users to download new files, making it more challenging to keep a functioning pirated version up to date. This continuous updating process can cause pirated versions to quickly become outdated compared to the official game. This creates a friction that the publisher hopes will gradually discourage the use of pirated copies.
We covered the last update to Grand Theft Auto VI and the importance of balance and stability. Now, we see a focus on combatting piracy, which ties into those discussions around consistency and stability in gameplay. Take-Two is taking a multi-faceted approach to fighting pirated versions by combining legal and technological measures. The aim is to protect revenue and online stability.
Grand Theft Auto VI is still coming out on November 19, 2026, for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Take-Two are approaching the inevitable piracy with legal and technological measures. They believe that the large file sizes and regular updates will inherently limit the availability of pirated versions. If you buy the game, you can be sure it will be actively supported and protected against the risks that Zelnick described.
Source: IXBT
Piracy is inevitable. The only question is how much friction they can add to make it not worth the trouble.
If the updates break the cracked versions regularly, does that mean we will be stuck on an older version or just lose online access? I am wondering if offline play will suffer too.
The article notes that regular development updates introduce complications for pirated versions. This usually means the cracked build fails to authenticate with servers or crashes due to signature checks.
large file sizes and system complexity are cited as obstacles for pirates. sounds like they are banking on the sheer size of the install being a deterrent 😅
They cite the film and music industries as examples. Those industries used DRM that eventually failed. This approach will not stop determined crackers.
Legal action is always a threat. The technical measures are the real factor here. I will just wait for the price to drop anyway.
Regional pricing will be the real test. If the official price is too high, technical friction will not matter to most buyers in my region.