Take-Two: GTA 6 Pre-Orders Far Exceed Expectations

Take-Two has presented its figures for the second fiscal quarter, and the message is two-fold: day-to-day business is struggling, but GTA 6 pre-orders are apparently performing much better than planned. According to the company, pre-orders are “far in excess of our initial expectations.” The release date remains November 19, 2026.

The numbers: Decline in bookings and revenue, smaller loss

Net Bookings for the quarter fell by 18 percent to US$1.60 billion. Net Revenue decreased by 16 percent to US$1.50 billion. The bottom line shows a net loss of US$54 million, compared to US$133.9 million in the same quarter last year.

Net Bookings: US$1.60 billion (down 18 percent)
Net Revenue: US$1.50 billion (down 16 percent)
Net Loss: US$54 million (previous year: US$133.9 million)
Annual Net Bookings Target: US$8.0 to US$8.2 billion, unchanged

A setback came from NBA 2K27: The basketball game has sold more than 4 million units since its launch on September 4, but it missed Take-Two's forecast. Additionally, catalog evergreens continue to perform: GTA 5 stands at almost 235 million units sold, and the Borderlands series has surpassed the 100 million mark.

On paper, the numbers appear weak. However, the forward-looking perspective is crucial, and that depends entirely on Rockstar.

What did Take-Two predict for the GTA 6 quarter?

PC Gamer reports that Take-Two expects Net Bookings of up to US$3.5 billion for the holiday quarter. According to other reports, the forecast range is US$3.35 to US$3.5 billion; thus, US$3.5 billion is the upper end of the forecast for the entire quarter and not solely a GTA 6 figure. A portion of this will likely come from the company's other games. This aligns with the expectation that operating costs will increase by approximately 21 percent in the third quarter, primarily due to marketing for GTA 6. We were unable to directly access the primary source, Take-Two's Investor Relations page, for this figure, so it is cited here as reported by PC Gamer.

This means Take-Two is spending money before it earns it. A quarter with rising marketing costs and a release in the middle of the period is typical for a blockbuster of this size. Those comparing the figures should keep in mind that November 19 only covers part of the December quarter.

Will GTA 6 also come to disc and PC?

This is precisely what CEO Strauss Zelnick was reportedly asked. There was no confirmation. According to Insider Gaming, he stated that information on this would come from the labels, originally: “information always comes from our labels.” There is still no official word on a disc version or a PC release, and we will not speculate on it here. For those interested in the retail side: We previously reported that physical PS5 boxes with codes have already appeared at retailers.

Analysis: Why the pre-order statement is more than marketing

Take-Two does not provide specific pre-order numbers. Nevertheless, the wording is noteworthy because it comes from a financial statement and not from a trailer text: here, executives are accountable to investors. At the same time, Take-Two has not raised its annual target of US$8.0 to US$8.2 billion. This suggests that the company remains cautious as long as the game is not yet on the market.

For players, the figures do not change the release date. Those who pre-load on PS5 should be aware that in such a case, the pre-order can no longer be canceled. Our editorial conclusion: Demand is clearly enormous, and the pressure on Rockstar to deliver a polished experience on November 19 will not diminish.