Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) Stock: GTA VI Delay Shock Amid Stellar Q2 Earnings Beat
Rockstar's parent company delivers profit fireworks—while fans get another 'coming soon' placeholder.
The Numbers Don't Lie (But Release Dates Do)
TTWO smashed Wall Street expectations with revenue surging 63% YoY to $1.4B, fueled by recurrent spending in NBA 2K and GTA Online. Yet the earnings call dropped a bombshell: GTA VI's launch window got pushed to late 2026—the third delay since its infamous trailer leak.
Analysts Cheer While Players Groan
Operating cash flow ballooned to $487M as microtransactions keep printing money. 'This proves the live-service model works,' gushed one analyst, conveniently ignoring the 200K+ Change.org petitions demanding single-player DLC.
The Cynic's Take
Another quarter, another masterclass in how to monetize hype cycles. TTWO shares dipped 4% in after-hours—because nothing excites Wall Street quite like the smell of delayed gratification.
TLDR
- Take-Two Interactive delayed Grand Theft Auto VI launch for the second time, now scheduled for November 19, 2026 instead of May 26, 2026
- The company reported Q2 fiscal 2026 net bookings of $1.96 billion, beating guidance and showing 33% growth year-over-year
- Take-Two raised its full-year fiscal 2026 net bookings outlook to $6.4-$6.5 billion from the previous $6.05-$6.15 billion range
- Recurrent consumer spending grew 20% and represented 73% of total net bookings in the quarter
- Shares dropped over 7% in extended trading following the GTA VI delay announcement
Take-Two Interactive pushed back the release date for Grand Theft Auto VI to November 19, 2026. The game was previously scheduled to launch on May 26, 2026.
$TTWO (Take-Two Interactive Software) #earnings are out: pic.twitter.com/YQzDQjm9iD
— The Earnings Correspondent (@earnings_guy) November 6, 2025
This marks the second delay for the highly anticipated title. The game was originally set to release sometime in 2025.
The stock fell more than 7% in extended trading after the announcement. Investors had been counting on the earlier release date.
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., TTWO
Rockstar Games, the developer behind GTA, apologized for the additional wait time. The studio said the extra months will help them deliver the level of polish players expect.
Fans have waited over a decade for the next installment. Grand Theft Auto V launched 13 years ago and became one of the most profitable video games ever made.
Strong Q2 Performance Despite Delay News
Despite the delay announcement, Take-Two reported strong financial results for its fiscal second quarter of 2026. Net bookings reached $1.96 billion, surpassing the company’s guidance range.
That figure represents a 33% increase compared to the same period last year. The growth came from multiple revenue streams across the company’s portfolio.
Recurrent consumer spending grew 20% year-over-year. This category accounted for 73% of total net bookings during the quarter.
Popular titles drove the revenue growth. NBA 2K26, Borderlands 4, and Grand Theft Auto Online all contributed to the results.
The company reported a GAAP net loss of $133.9 million for the quarter. However, the loss per share improved from $2.08 to $0.73 year-over-year.
Raised Outlook for Fiscal 2026
Take-Two raised its forecast for full-year fiscal 2026 net bookings. The new range is $6.4 billion to $6.5 billion.
The previous forecast ranged from $6.05 billion to $6.15 billion. The increase reflects strong performance from mobile and premium titles.
CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed confidence in the company’s future performance. He expects record levels of net bookings in fiscal 2027.
The Optimism stems from a robust pipeline of upcoming releases. The company continues to see success in mobile gaming and live services.
Analysts view the delay as a smart MOVE for long-term success. D.A. Davidson & Co analyst Wyatt Swanson noted that rushed games with flaws often never reach their full sales potential.
Industry watchers expect GTA VI to generate billions in sales within the first few weeks of launch. The game is anticipated to drive console and hardware upgrades across the gaming industry.
Players will need to wait another six months beyond the previous target date. The November 2026 release date gives Rockstar additional development time to perfect the game.
