Take-Two CEO: GTA 6 preorders are “unprecedented and astonishing”

Take-Two Interactive recorded $1.39bn in net bookings during its first fiscal quarter as initial presales for «Grand Theft Auto 6» (GTA 6) exceeded company expectations.

Despite the high sales figures between April 1 and June 30, the video game publisher saw its quarterly losses widen to $34.1mn compared with an $11.9mn loss during the same period last year. Revenue for the quarter reached $1.53bn, beating Wall Street forecasts.

Company CEO Strauss Zelnick noted that «GTA 6» experienced an exceptional start to preorders during the five days they were available before the quarter closed. While he declined to share specific sales numbers, Zelnick described the consumer response as astonishing.

«I can say that the level of preorders is unprecedented,» Zelnick told analysts on Friday. «But they are so unprecedented that we just don’t know how it’ll translate into sales. We genuinely don’t, and we just don’t believe in claiming victory before it occurs.»

Premium pricing and exclusive content

Rockstar Games launched presales on June 25, pricing the standard edition at $79.99 for both digital and physical copies. The physical version notably contains a code in a box rather than a traditional disc. An ultimate edition costs $99.99 and provides players with an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons and apparel. The highly anticipated sequel is scheduled for release on November 19.

Zelnick defended the pricing strategy, saying the structure accommodates different types of consumers and that the company is pleased with the preorder mix.

To build on this momentum, Rockstar will debut an extended look at the game on Netflix on August 27. The footage will become widely available on YouTube and social media platforms six hours after its initial 3 p.m. Eastern time release.

While overall net bookings fell 3% from $1.42bn in the previous year’s quarter, Take-Two highlighted strong ongoing engagement with its established franchises. «NBA 2K» net bookings increased by 7% and older «GTA» titles saw a 3% rise.

The company’s wider financial losses included a $43.4mn write-down following a decision to cancel an unannounced title from a third-party developer. Looking forward, Take-Two maintained its fiscal 2027 net bookings outlook of $8.0 to $8.2bn.

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