By Variety | Created at 2026-08-07 13:43:11 | Updated at 2026-08-07 17:31:14
5 hours ago
Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive drew $1.39 billion in sales from April 1-June 30, the quarter during which it opened presales for “Grand Theft Auto 6,” even as the company’s losses widened.
During a call with analysts later Friday, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said “GTA 6” had an “exceptional start to pre-orders,” which were open for five days during the quarter, but did not disclose specific sales numbers.
“I can say that the level of pre-orders is unprecedented and astonishing, and we’re very grateful for that,” Zelnick said. “But they are so unprecedented that we just don’t know how it’ll translate into sales, which is a question I answered earlier. We genuinely don’t, and we just don’t believe in claiming victory before it occurs.”
Pre-orders for “GTA 6” launched June 25, one day after Take Two-Interactive’s Rockstar Games revealed pricing for the game would be $79.99 for the standard edition, which can be purchased as a digital or physical (which includes a code in a box rather than a disc) copy. The “ultimate” version will cost $99.99 and include “an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects” of the game.
“I think that Rockstar got it right in terms of the pricing of this standard edition and the pricing of the deluxe edition, and I think there’s no doubt that consumers are really excited about both,” Zelnick said Friday. “And I think depending on your own ability to pay and how avid a consumer you are, you can choose between them. But the pre-orders have been exceptional, and we’re happy with the mix as well.”
The $1.39 billion in total net bookings for the quarter (which marks the first quarter of Take-Two’s fiscal year) was not broken down by title in the company’s earnings results Friday. Take-Two said the number primarily reflected “better-than-expected performance” from the “NBA 2K” and “GTA” franchises. “NBA 2K” net bookings were up 7% and “GTA” rose 3%.
It should be noted that net bookings, an internal earnings metric used across the video game industry, are recorded when an order is placed, while revenue is based on actual earned income. Take-Two’s revenue for the quarter came in at $1.53 billion.
Overall, net bookings were down 3% from $1.42 billion in the prior year’s quarter. Losses for the quarter was $34.1 million compared with a loss of $11.9 million year over year.
Take-Two took a $43.4 million impairment charge during the quarter attributed to the “decision not to proceed with further development of an unannounced title in its pipeline from a third-party developer.”
Wall Street forecast a GAAP loss of earnings per share (EPS) of 21 cents on $1.36 billion in revenue, according to analyst consensus data provided by LSEG. Take-Two reported a GAAP loss per share of 18 cents on $1.39 billion in net bookings.
“Our excellent first quarter results reflect the power of our portfolio and disciplined execution across all of our labels,” Zelnick said in a letter to shareholders. “With these positive trends and excitement around the November 19th launch of ‘Grand Theft Auto VI,’ we are reiterating our Fiscal 2027 Net Bookings outlook of $8.0 to $8.2 billion. Looking further ahead, we expect to sustain this new level of scale and generate strong cash flows, setting us on a path to deliver continued growth and long-term shareholder returns.”
