Don't Expect Real Brands in GTA 6: Take-Two CEO Says All Products Are Fictional

Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to become the biggest entertainment launch ever, possibly even the best-selling game of all time. You'd think Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two would rake in millions through in-game product placement, but Take-Two is apparently fine leaving that money on the table because real-world brand partnerships don't fit in GTA's parody-filled world.

As fans know, GTA satirizes American society and culture, featuring parodies of real locations, companies, and products that often mock consumerism. Some are direct spoofs of real brands—like Sprunk, which is basically Sprite, or Up-n-Atom Burger, a fictional fast-food chain parodying In-N-Out Burger.

Speaking this week at iicon, a new conference for gaming executives, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick ruled out brand partnerships in GTA 6 because, simply put, “all the brands are made up.”

“We need to be true to the underlying intellectual property and our consumers,” Zelnick said. “Consumers have an intuitive sixth sense for what's real and what's not. They can always figure it out. In GTA, it's a fictional world, and everything in it is fictional. So we're not even at risk of doing brand partnerships because all the brands are made up. That keeps us pure.”

Zelnick contrasted this with 2K's NBA series, where brands “naturally exist” in the real-world sport. “As long as we present them naturally, the way people experience them in a basketball game, it's great,” he added.

He acknowledged the fine line entertainment must walk with product placement, saying “everyone knows if you push too hard with partnerships it’s a disaster.” He cited an unnamed TV show where a beverage can placement was “too much.”

While GTA 6 may miss out on in-game ads, it'll surely make enough money that no one at Rockstar or Take-Two will care. In the same interview, Zelnick addressed GTA 6's pricing and even offered a sliver of hope for an LA Noire sequel.

GTA 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026. Zelnick previously hinted that marketing will ramp up in summer, as fans eagerly await GTA 6 Trailer 3.