Take-Two Interactive delivers 'outstanding' quarter after GTA beats forecasts
Grand Theft Auto maker Take-Two Interactive recorded net bookings of $1.76 billion during what it described as an "outstanding" third quarter.
According to the company's fiscal report for third-quarter ended December 31, 2025, net bookings from recurrent consumer spending also increased by 23 percent year-on-year and accounted for 76 percent of total net bookings.
Due to that momentum, Take-Two has raised its guidance and now expects net bookings to range from $6.65 billion to $6.7 billion by the end of the current fiscal year.
"At the midpoint, our revised Net Bookings forecast is approximately $725 million above the initial outlook we provided in May 2025, which reflects the creative passion, hard work, and consistent execution of our teams," reads the fiscal report.
Grand Theft Auto V sold another 5 million units during Q3 and has now sold-in over 225 million copies worldwide.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said the franchise continues to vastly outpace internal forecasts, with recurrent consumer spending associated with GTA increasing by 27 percent during Q3. That upswing was driven by GTA Online's latest update, A Safehouse in the Hills, which reintroduced GTA V protagonist Michael De Santa.
Zelnick added that GTA+, a membership program launched exclusively for GTA Online, continues to "thrive" and explained subscriber numbers have doubled year-over-year. He reiterated that GTA VI will launch on November 19, 2026, following multiple delays and unrest at developer Rockstar.
As for Rockstar's other major release, Red Dead Redemption 2 has now sold-in over 82 million units globally.
Take-Two continues to benefit from Zynga acquisitionZelnick also praised the performance of Take-Two's mobile business and major sports franchises. He noted that Toon Blast—a mobile title developed by Zynga-owned studio Peak—grew by 43 percent year-on-year and crossed $3 billion in lifetime net bookings.
"The game continues to rank among our most valuable franchises, showcasing the long-term value of our match-three portfolio," he added. The long-serving chief exec also lauded Zynga titles Empires and Puzzles and Words with Friends—which grew by 11 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
In the world of sports sims, he said NBA 2K26 delivered a "stellar quarter" and has now sold roughly 8 million units worldwide. That milestone represents a high single-digit percentage increase over NBA 2K25.
NBA 2K is now on track to deliver the highest level of annual net bookings and recurrent consumer spending in franchise history.
"Our execution throughout Fiscal 2026 has been extraordinary and we are highly confident as we approach Fiscal 2027—which promises to be groundbreaking for Take-Two and the entire entertainment industry–led by the November 19 release of Grand Theft Auto VI with Rockstars launch marketing set to begin this Summer," added Zelnick.
"With ongoing momentum in our business, coupled with our robust forward release schedule, we continue to project record levels of Net Bookings in Fiscal 2027, which we believe will establish a higher financial baseline, set us on a path to enhanced profitability, and provide further balance sheet strength and flexibility."
