How a lot GTA VI will price shoppers (and rake in for writer Take-Two) when it lastly launches on Could 26, 2026?
Forward of a latest earnings name, Selection pressed Take-Two CEO Straus Zelnick for a solution in a world the place some publishers at the moment are releasing $80 video video games. Earlier this 12 months, one analyst even advised Sky Information that GTA VI may turn into the primary $100 title.
Zelnick did not give a lot away, however stated the U.S. writer will proceed utilizing “variable pricing” when deciding how a lot to cost for its software program.
“Our purpose all the time is to ship extra worth than what we cost, so we’ve had variable pricing on the firm eternally. As you understand, the method of the business is to launch at a premium value, typically with particular editions, and over time, sometimes to cut back the value to boost the general dimension of the market,” he defined.
“We do the exact same factor. I feel, in all probability greater than most, we’re extremely targeted on ensuring that the expertise is nice, not simply because the sport itself is nice, but in addition as a result of shoppers have paid a good value for it.”
Zelnick expanded (ever so barely) on that reply throughout a latest investor Q&A (by way of Searching for Alpha) and stated the corporate is probably taking a “totally different” method to pricing when in comparison with a few of its rivals.
“I feel our method could also be slightly bit totally different. We consider that any shopper expertise is the intersection of the factor itself and what you paid for the factor. So our purpose is to vastly exceed expectations. We wish to put out the very best leisure on earth, and we wish to ship extra worth than what we cost for. And we predict we have usually talking, gotten that proper,” he added
“Variable pricing has been the character of this business eternally. Most frontline releases, we’ll exit at a better value, so typically with particular additions. After which over time, normally, the value is discounted to optimize for the most important attainable market. And I do not suppose that is going to vary anytime quickly. However the rubric that informs us is absolutely that of delivering extra worth than what we cost.”
Take-Two raises web bookings steerage after “excellent” first quarter
Discussing Take-Two’s enterprise efficiency in the course of the first quarter ended June 30, 2025, Zelnick stated the corporate has made an “glorious begin” attributable to ongoing demand for its core franchises.
Q1 web bookings elevated by 17 % to $1.42 billion, which was meaningfully above the corporate’s high-end expectations. Zelnick stated that upswing was “led by the outperformance of a number of cell titles, in addition to the continued success of NBA 2K and the Grand Theft Auto collection.”
Internet bookings from recurrent spending additionally rose by 17 % year-on-year and accounted for 83 % of Take-Two’s whole web bookings for the quarter.
Notably, Take-Two’s cell enterprise massively exceeded expectations because of the success of Zynga-owned franchises equivalent to Toon Blast, Match Manufacturing facility, and Shade Block Jam.
“Toon Blast grew 22 % over final 12 months and almost 75 % on a two-year foundation, pushed by the ‘seasonal assortment’ characteristic that supplied a brand new avenue of engagement for the sport’s hundreds of thousands of lively gamers,” famous Zelnick.
Match Manufacturing facility, in the meantime, achieved file web bookings and Shade Block Jam grew to become the highest-grossing title within the historical past of developer Rollic (which is owned by Zynga).
Elsewhere, Grand Theft Auto V exceeded expectations—with Zelnick suggesting the 12-year-old title benefitted from pleasure generated by the second GTA VI trailer.
“Throughout the quarter, engagement for Grand Theft Auto On-line benefited from the record-setting launch of Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 2 and the profitable launch of the ‘Cash Fronts’ Summer time content material pack, which culminated in larger than anticipated recurrent shopper spending development,” he added. “We’re happy that new participant accounts for GTA On-line grew over 50 % year-over-year.”
Take-Two’s sports activities choices additionally carried out properly. “NBA 2K25 delivered one other quarter of improbable outcomes. So far, the title has sold-in over 11.5 million models, and engagement grew considerably year-over-year with Every day Energetic Customers and MYCAREER Every day Energetic Customers every up 30 %, which helped drive 48 % development in recurrent shopper spending,” Zelnick continued.
Off the again of a bumper quarter—and with the launch of titles equivalent to NBA 2K26 and Borderlands 4 within the pipeline—Take Two has raised its web bookings outlook for the fiscal 12 months to between $6.05 billion and $6.15 billion.
“We have now nice confidence in our long-term pipeline and anticipate to realize file ranges of Internet Bookings in Fiscal 2027 that we consider will set up a better baseline for our enterprise, and set us on a path of enhanced profitability,” completed Zelnick.
