GamesBeat is bringing a star-studded speaker lineup onstage for its first-ever event in New York City.
Strauss Zelnick, the chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive, has joined the already-stacked roster of industry leaders speaking at next month’s GamesBeat Insider Series: Brands & Games in New York, presented by Overwolf. Zelnick will join former Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé and other industry leaders for the gathering on September 16, 2026.
You can request a ticket to the invite-only event here.
All eyes are on Take-Two Interactive as it gears up for the November release of Grand Theft Auto VI, making Zelnick one of the most influential entertainment executives of the year. On September 16, he’ll share his perspective on the industry with an intimate gathering of leading brands, CMOs, senior marketers, brand executives, and business decision makers from across gaming and advertising.
GamesBeat’s first New York event is designed around a simple premise: that gaming has become too important for brands to treat as a niche marketing channel. GamesBeat is limiting the gathering to approximately 100 carefully selected executives, including both senior marketing leaders and representatives of non-endemic brands looking to better understand and engage with interactive entertainment.
Grand Theft Auto VI is one of the most highly anticipated video game releases of all time, putting a globally recognizable entertainment franchise at the center of a historic business moment. For CMOs, that makes this conversation particularly timely. GTA VI is not simply another game release; the franchise has demonstrated an ability to cross the boundaries between games, entertainment and popular culture. When Grand Theft Auto V launched in 2013, it generated more than $800 million in sales in its first 24 hours and crossed $1 billion in three days — at the time becoming the fastest-selling entertainment property to reach that milestone.
The next installment arrives in a much larger gaming economy.
Gaming is becoming a CMO-level conversation
The scale of the $200-billion-plus gaming market in 2026 is staggering. Mobile alone demonstrates the scale. According to Sensor Tower, mobile games generated approximately $82 billion in in-app purchase revenue in 2025, alongside roughly 52 billion downloads.
The audience is equally significant. GamesBeat has reported that the global gaming market is expected to exceed $530 billion by 2028, with more than 3.5 billion people playing games worldwide. For marketers, those numbers are changing the conversation.
Gaming is no longer just a place to buy media against a particular demographic. It is increasingly a collection of communities, platforms, creators, and entertainment properties where consumers spend substantial amounts of time. GamesBeat saw this shift firsthand at its 2026 Summit, where it introduced a dedicated track focused on brands, advertising and marketing. Now, GamesBeat is bringing this conversation to New York.
Strauss Zelnick sits in a rarified position at the intersection of gaming and the broader entertainment business. As Take-Two’s chairman and CEO, he oversees a company whose IP portfolio includes some of the industry’s most valuable franchises, including Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and NBA 2K. He’s also held senior leadership positions across the entertainment business, giving him a perspective on how interactive entertainment increasingly competes with — and complements — other forms of media.
“Strauss Zelnick is one of the most important business leaders in entertainment, and having him speak to a room of CMOs and brand leaders at this particular moment is incredibly meaningful,” said GamesBeat chief executive officer Gina Joseph. “We are heading into a historic moment with GTA VI, but the bigger story is what gaming represents for the business world. The interactive economy is creating enormous opportunities for brands, and we want to bring the people who are building that future together with the executives who need to understand it.”
Joining an all-star roster
Zelnick’s appearance follows GamesBeat’s announcement last week that Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America, will also speak at GamesBeat Insider Series: Brands & Games. Fils-Aimé and Zelnick offer very different perspectives on the industry, but both have spent their careers helping turn games into mainstream entertainment. Their participation is part of a broader speaker lineup GamesBeat is assembling around the intersection of gaming, brands, advertising, entertainment, and technology.
The program of GamesBeat’s NYC event next month also brings together executives from the advertising and media sides of the business, reflecting GamesBeat’s effort to make the New York gathering less about the traditional games industry and more about the business opportunity created by gaming.
The conversation continues at GamesBeat NEXT
GamesBeat Insider Series: Brands & Games takes place September 16 in New York City, from 4–7 p.m.
Although the conversation at GamesBeat Insider Series events is intentionally limited to a small group of executives, the discussion will continue at GamesBeat NEXT on November 2-3 in San Francisco — GamesBeat’s next major gathering for leaders across gaming, entertainment and technology.
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