GTA 6 Preorders Are 'Unprecedented and Astonishing,' Take-Two Says in Q1 Results

Take-Two Interactive drew $1.39 billion in net bookings from April 1 to June 30 — the quarter during which it opened presales for Grand Theft Auto 6 — even as the company's losses widened, Variety reported August 7. Net bookings were down 2.7% from $1.42 billion a year earlier, while GAAP revenue of $1.53 billion came in above guidance of $1.45 to $1.5 billion. The net loss widened to $34.1 million from $11.9 million a year ago, though the 18-cent per-share GAAP loss beat the 21-cent loss Wall Street expected.

'Unprecedented and Astonishing'

Preorders for GTA 6 opened June 25 — just five days before the quarter ended — and CEO Strauss Zelnick told analysts the level of preorders is 'unprecedented and astonishing,' though he declined to disclose numbers. 'They are so unprecedented that we just don't know how it'll translate into sales,' Zelnick said. Market researcher Newzoo estimates the game could generate $3.25 billion in first-week sales based on preorders. Rockstar set pricing at $79.99 for the standard edition and $99.99 for the ultimate edition, with the game releasing November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. An extended look at the game airs on Netflix on August 27.

Record Year Ahead

Take-Two reiterated its fiscal 2027 net bookings outlook of $8.0 to $8.2 billion — roughly 20% growth driven by the GTA 6 launch — while NBA 2K net bookings rose 7% and the GTA franchise grew 3% in the quarter. Grand Theft Auto V has now sold more than 230 million units to date, and NBA 2K27 arrives September 4. The company said global excitement for GTA 6 continues to build, with consumer spending in November and December expected to be dominated by the release.