GTA VI Preorders Reach Unprecedented Levels as Take-Two Reports Mixed Quarter Results

Take-Two Interactive reported net bookings of $1.60 billion for its fiscal second quarter ended September 30, down 18 percent from $1.96 billion a year earlier and just below the company’s own guidance range of $1.62 billion to $1.67 billion.⁠

GAAP net revenue was $1.5 billion, a 16 percent decrease from the previous year, which was a difficult period, especially since the net loss was reduced to $54 million, or 29 cents per share, down from a $133.9 million loss, or 73 cents per share, the prior year. The NBA 2K27 launch during the quarter achieved the second-highest net bookings total in the series’ history, with over 4 million units sold, which is quite impressive, but fell short of the company’s own expectations.

Mobile titles performed as expected, but traditional Grand Theft Auto titles exceeded expectations due to continual content improvements for Grand Theft Auto Online and continued rise in average monthly subscribers. Recurrent consumer expenditure, which accounts for around 81 percent of overall net bookings, fell 9 percent year on year. The thing is, NBA 2K and mobile contributions both declined, while Grand Theft Auto witnessed an increase in engagement. At the end of the day, the top income producers were NBA 2K, Grand Theft Auto, Toon Blast, Match Factory!, Empires & Puzzles, Borderlands, Words With Friends, Color Block Jam, WWE 2K, Red Dead Redemption, and Zynga Poker.


Strauss Zelnick, the company’s chairman and CEO, stated that the release of Grand Theft Auto VI is only 10 days away, and pre-orders are already smashing records. He said that the company believes it is on track to deliver a record year and reiterated that the full-year fiscal 2027 net bookings target remains $8.0 billion to $8.2 billion. Pre-orders have exceeded expectations, and executives are crossing their fingers that everything will go as planned. They’re already working hard on marketing efforts, including a Netflix film that recently became the platform’s most-watched title of the week, several soundtrack albums that debuted in the Billboard top ten, and a couple in-person events in Miami.

The company expects net bookings of $3.35 billion to $3.5 billion in the fiscal third quarter, which ends December 31, up from approximately $1.76 billion the previous year. That is due in large part to the latest Rockstar Games title. Recurrent consumer spending is predicted to increase by roughly 12% during that time period, owing to robust sales of the Grand Theft Auto series, notably the Ultimate Edition, which includes add-on material. The business now anticipates a full-year GAAP net revenue estimate of $7.98 billion to $8.18 billion, with net income ranging from $109 million to $142 million, or 57 cents to 75 cents per share.

Management is fairly confident that the company will generate operating cash flow in excess of $1 billion this year and will end with a net cash position by March 31. Operating expenses are expected to increase by around 5% on a management basis, aided by lower user acquisition costs. The business intends to release a large amount of post-launch content for NBA 2K in the second half of the year, which they believe will increase recurring expenditure. Beyond that, they plan to continue supporting live services, launch new mobile and sports titles, grow into new markets, and make a few smart acquisitions.