During Take-Two's earnings call today, the specter of further delays to Red Dead Redemption 2 hung over the call, which CEO Strauss Zelnick was hoping to exorcise once and for all.

"The entire focus of this organisation is on delivering the highest quality entertainment experiences of any kind," Zelnick stated during the call. "More often than not, we feel proud that we're able to do that. All of our labels are focused on releasing a title when they reach that apex of effort and perfection. And in this instance, Rockstar Games felt more polish was required, and naturally we are in favour of that decision [delaying the game]. The date of October 26 is set, and I am confident that will be the release date. We are incredibly excited about it."

The game was originally announced in October 2016, the first scheduled release was set for the second half of 2017. It got delayed into the first half of 2018, then again to its apparently final release date of October 26. Zelnick said that he believes there are advantages to releasing games in the holiday season and does not want to waste the opportunity.

Zelnick went on to boast that no developer can do what Rockstar does and that is the overriding focus for Red Dead Redemption 2 over financial concerns.

"A genuine, not financially driven commitment to quality comes first," he said. "Thankfully, we run what we believe is a highly rational, exceedingly disciplined business environment, which gives people who are creative a very safe place to do their very best work."

Red Dead Redemption 2 is releasing on October 26 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Our Take

I am not sure I believe Zelnick's statement about prioritizing quality over financial concerns, but I'm sure he enjoys when the two coincide. That said, Red Dead Redemption 2 should hit both avenues pretty well.