'If You're Not on Netflix, You're Missing Out' — Take-Two CEO Hypes Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look

Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look is set to deliver the first substantial gameplay footage of GTA 6, but it will be exclusive to Netflix for six hours before hitting YouTube. This unusual marketing move has sparked criticism from fans who feel Rockstar is putting a trailer behind a paywall. However, many questions remain: Is this a standard gameplay trailer, a mini-documentary, a Netflix special, or something else? Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick is keeping details under wraps, but in a recent interview with IGN, he expressed confidence that everyone will tune in regardless.

Rather than a simple GTA 6 Trailer 3, this event seems poised to offer a deeper dive into Rockstar's highly anticipated blockbuster, over a year after the release of GTA 6 Trailer 2. Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look will stream on Netflix on Thursday, August 27 at 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern / 8pm UK, six hours before it goes live on YouTube at 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern on August 27, or 2am UK on August 28.

"I think Rockstar felt that a Netflix release would be a great way to show off the extended trailer," Zelnick told IGN, without revealing specifics about the deal between Netflix and Rockstar. "Six hours later it will be available on Rockstar's YouTube channel and I think ultimately on many other outlets," he continued. "And I think this is an example of Rockstar trying new things and marketing the title, and I hope there's much more to come."

When asked if he could set expectations for what fans might see, or if it's worth subscribing to Netflix for, Zelnick remained tight-lipped about the content and duration of the extended look, but hinted it's more ambitious than a typical gameplay reveal.

"Well, as you'd imagine, I'm only going to say great things about Netflix," he said. "If you're not a Netflix subscriber, you definitely should be one. As for the trailer itself, it's coming soon enough that I'll let you arrive at your own conclusion. I'm sure you're going to watch it because everyone is."

With hundreds of millions of Netflix subscribers, the platform offers a massive audience, including many who may not even know GTA 6 is on the horizon. This exposure is undeniably appealing for Rockstar, even beyond the financial terms of the deal.

Opting for a Netflix reveal also suggests that Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look will fit naturally within the streaming service's ecosystem—perhaps as a major live event, but one that feels familiar to Netflix's vast user base. It might even resemble a Netflix show episode, a one-shot that leaves viewers desperate to play the game. The GTA 6 tile will likely dominate the 'trending now' section as soon as the extended look drops, front and center for everyone logging in that evening.

The big question: Will Netflix crash when the world tunes in for the GTA 6 reveal on August 27?

We've got plenty more from our interview with Strauss Zelnick, including his comments on GTA 6 pricing, his defense of the game not launching on disc, and his predictions for the future of game streaming.