Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick announced on Monday that presales for Grand Theft Auto VI are running far in excess of the company's expectations. Speaking in an interview with Variety ahead of the firm's earnings release, Zelnick described the early sales figures as a positive development. However, he emphasized a cautious approach to forecasting, noting that the company does not claim success until it has actually occurred. The executive added that the industry is just days away from seeing the full results of their efforts.
The long-awaited title is scheduled to launch on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X consoles. The standard edition of the game will be priced at $79.99, while the ultimate version will cost $99.99. Although Rockstar Games has not yet confirmed the exact number of pre-orders, Zelnick assured investors that the company will provide more detailed information regarding the game's performance after its official release.
These strong presale figures align with previous disclosures made by Zelnick and Rockstar Games after pre-orders opened in June. At that time, the company described the demand as unprecedented. The current momentum suggests that consumer interest remains high despite various rumors circulating in the market regarding sales volumes.
In a separate development on Monday, the Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists released a statement supporting the decision by Rockstar Games workers to form a union. When asked about this labor development during his interview, Zelnick declined to offer specific comments, preferring to keep the focus on the upcoming launch.
Regarding the future availability of the game on other platforms, such as personal computers and the Nintendo Switch 2, Zelnick indicated that specific announcements will come directly from Rockstar Games. He noted that information regarding platform releases and the possibility of a full physical disc version is always managed by the company's labels. This approach keeps strategic decisions for potential future announcements within the Rockstar team.
Financially, Take-Two Interactive reported that game revenue for the quarter spanning July through September reached $1.38 billion. Advertising sales during the same period amounted to $121 million. The company noted that sales for the NBA 2K franchise were softer than originally anticipated, which may have influenced the overall revenue mix for the quarter.
Analysts from LSEG had forecast a loss of 86 cents per share on total revenue of $1.66 billion based on consensus data. In contrast, Take-Two Interactive reported a loss per share of 29 cents and total net bookings of $1.6 billion. The company recorded a net loss of $54 million for the quarter, a figure that reflects the heavy investment in new titles and marketing efforts.
The earnings release provides a critical snapshot of the company's financial health as it heads into one of the most anticipated gaming launches of the decade. The combination of strong presales and adjusted financial expectations has set the stage for a significant period for the entertainment sector in the coming weeks.
