Take-Two Says GTA VI Pre-Orders Are Running Far Ahead of Its Expectations
Take-Two Interactive said pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI are running well ahead of its own forecast, nine days before the game's November 19 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI are running “far exceeding” Take-Two Interactive’s original expectations, chief executive Strauss Zelnick said, nine days before the game reaches stores. The publisher reported the demand in its second-quarter results on Monday, while holding its full-year forecast steady until it has sales figures from launch.
Take-Two did not disclose a pre-order total, and Zelnick said the company will release official figures after the game launches on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Market research firm Sensor Tower put digital pre-orders at almost 8 million units as of November 3, according to WCCFTech. That estimate has not been confirmed by Take-Two.
A soft quarter before launch
The company reported $1.60 billion in net bookings for the three months ended September 30, down 18 percent from a year earlier and below its guidance of $1.62 billion to $1.67 billion. Net revenue was $1.50 billion, down from $1.77 billion in the same quarter last year.
Management said NBA 2K27 delivered the second-highest launch-period net bookings in that franchise’s history but still fell short of its forecast, while mobile sales met plan and the Grand Theft Auto series beat its targets. Take-Two shares fell about 3.5 percent after the report, according to WCCFTech.
Launch plans and the year ahead
Rockstar Games lists November 19 as the launch date for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with preloading beginning November 10. The company has announced no date for a PC version.
Take-Two kept its fiscal 2027 outlook at $8 billion to $8.2 billion in net bookings. Zelnick said the company was keeping its guidance unchanged because the release was only 10 days away and it would know more once the game was out.
Zelnick also spoke about BioShock, the next entry in the series, which has been in development since it was announced in December 2019. “It’s still in development. We feel very good about how it’s going,” he said, adding that the project had faced development problems along the way. A report by Jason Schreier put the game on track for a late 2027 release.
For now, the pre-order numbers remain the publisher’s own reading of demand. The test comes November 19, when the game goes on sale and Take-Two starts counting actual sales.
Reporting based on coverage by WCCFTech and Enstarz.
