Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick Discusses the Company's Ambitious Release Schedule and Preparations for Grand Theft Auto 6

Take-Two Interactive has reported a strong performance in its latest financial results, with a raised outlook for Q2 of $6.05 billion to $6.15 billion. Ahead of its most extensive release schedule to date, CEO Strauss Zelnick shared his insights with GamesIndustry.biz on the company's latest results and preparations for Grand Theft Auto 6. The key factors behind Take-Two's strong performance were the impressive results across all its labels, including 2K Games, where NBA 2K25 exceeded expectations with a 48% year-over-year increase in consumer spending. The game has sold around 11.5 million units, surpassing last year's title. Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series also performed well, with Grand Theft Auto 5 selling over 215 million units and a significant increase in new player accounts for GTA Online. On the mobile side, Zynga saw substantial growth, with Toon Blast increasing 22% year-over-year and Match Factory growing 33% in just 18 months. Zelnick expressed optimism about Mafia: The Old Country, describing it as a premium title with the right pricing and beautiful visuals. When asked about sports games, Zelnick acknowledged their importance in Take-Two's portfolio, with titles like NBA, WWE, PGA Tour 2K, and TopSpin. However, he noted that the company does not directly compete with Electronic Arts' sports titles like FC. Looking ahead to Grand Theft Auto 6, Zelnick stated that while the company is optimistic, they must deliver a great product to consumers, who will ultimately determine its success. Take-Two has an ambitious release schedule for the next year, with upcoming titles including Mafia: The Old Country, NBA 2K26, Borderlands 4, WWE 2K mobile, WWE 2K26, GTA 6, CSR 3, Judas, and Project Ethos.