Take-Two Stock Takes Big Hit After GTA 6 Delay

Summary

Take-Two's stock price dropped nearly 11 percent due to the recent news of GTA 6 being delayed to May 26, 2026.
Take-Two plans to rely on upcoming releases like Borderlands 4 and Mafia: The Old Country to offset the short-term impact of GTA 6's delay.
GTA 6's delay has majorly disappointed fans who have been clamoring for news on the game since Trailer 1's debut in December 2023.

Grand Theft Auto 6 publisher Take-Two Interactive's stock price plummeted by nearly 11 percent following the game's recent delay. Originally slated for release in fall 2025, GTA 6 will now launch on May 26, 2026, which brings significant implications for Take-Two Interactive's financial outlook.

Arguably the most anticipated game in history, GTA 6's initially-planned fall 2025 launch was seen by Take-Two investors as a massive cash cow for the company's current fiscal year. The game's predecessor, GTA 5, is nearly 12 years old but remains in the upper echelons of sales charts, and at over 210 million copies sold, is the second best-selling game of all time. GTA 6 is expected to surpass the record-shattering success of GTA 5, but now that its launch has been pushed into Take-Two's fiscal year 2027, projections for near-term growth have been shaken.

The main characters from GTA 6 holding guns

So, GTA 6 is delayed. How're we feeling about it?

It's naturally disappointing to hear that we've got another full year to go before we can get our hands on GTA 6, considering how long it's already been, but I'm sure the wait will well and truly be worth it. As long as the final product is as polished and complete as I'm expecting it to be, then so be it. I will be having a small tantrum about it, though 😂

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The market reacted swiftly to the news of GTA 6's delay, with Take-Two stock dipping to $209.96, a near 11 percent drop from its $235.17 value at market close on Thursday. In response, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick issued a public statement backing Rockstar's decision to delay the game. "We support fully Rockstar Games taking additional time to realize their creative vision," Zelnick said, highlighting GTA 6 as a "groundbreaking, blockbuster entertainment experience." He also noted that Take-Two anticipates record levels of revenue in both fiscal 2026 and 2027, despite the scheduling shift.

Take-Two to Rely on its Upcoming 2025 Games to Fill the Void Left By GTA 6

In the meantime, Take-Two is leaning on its broader games portfolio to fill the gap left by GTA 6's delay. Upcoming Take-Two releases include Borderlands 4 (coming September 12) and Mafia: The Old Country (rumored to launch on August 8), both of which are expected to contribute solid revenue. Sports fans can also expect the next annual NBA installment - NBA 2K26 - from 2K Sports. Longer-term projects such as the next BioShock game and Ken Levine's Judas are in development as well, but aren't anticipated to impact the immediate fiscal horizon in the way GTA 6 was expected to.

GTA 6 fans are understandably disheartened over the delay, even more so considering it's the first piece of official news Rockstar has shared about the game since the debut of its first trailer in December 2023. Many had hoped for at least a new GTA 6 screenshot or trailer to soften the blow of the delay, but that didn't happen. However, Rockstar did mention in the delay announcement that it plans to share more information about GTA 6 "soon," and Take-Two has an earnings call slated for Thursday, May 15.

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