Take-Two Interactive has revealed that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) are 'unprecedented and astonishing', according to CEO Strauss Zelnick, who spoke during the company's Q1 FY2027 earnings call. The highly anticipated title, launching November 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, opened pre-orders on June 25, with a standard edition priced at £69.99 and an Ultimate Edition at £89.99. Although specific figures were not disclosed, Zelnick emphasized the exceptional early demand, noting that pre-orders were only open for five days during the quarter.
Record-Breaking Pre-Order Momentum
Zelnick stated, 'I can say that the level of pre-orders is unprecedented and astonishing, and we're very grateful for that. But they are so unprecedented that we just don't know how it'll translate into sales, which is a question I answered earlier. We genuinely don't, and we just don't believe in claiming victory before it occurs.' This cautious optimism reflects the uncertainty even with stellar early indicators.
The CEO also praised Rockstar's pricing strategy, which was lower than many analysts had forecast. 'I think that Rockstar got it right in terms of the pricing of this standard edition and the pricing of the deluxe edition, and I think there's no doubt that consumers are really excited about both,' Zelnick added. He highlighted the choice between editions, saying, 'depending on your own ability to pay and how avid a consumer you are, you can choose between them. But the pre-orders have been exceptional, and we're happy with the mix as well.'
Financial Results and Cancelled Project
Take-Two's net bookings for the quarter reached $1.39 billion (£1 billion), slightly above expectations but down 3% year-on-year. Losses widened to $34.1 million (£23 million), compared to $11.9 million (£8.8 million) in the same period last year. The company also took a $43.3 million (£32 million) impairment charge for the 'decision not to proceed with further development of an unannounced title in its pipeline from a third party developer'—effectively cancelling a project. No details were given about the cancelled game, but speculation may arise if the developer hints at its involvement.
Top sellers for the quarter included NBA 2K, the GTA series, Toon Blast, and Match Factory. Take-Two projects net bookings of $8 to $8.2 billion (£6 billion) for the full fiscal year, driven primarily by GTA 6's launch.
Updated Sales Milestones for Previous Titles
In the same report, Take-Two updated sales figures: GTA 5 has surpassed 230 million units sold, and Red Dead Redemption 2 has exceeded 87 million copies. A current-gen patch for Red Dead Redemption 2 has been rumoured but not yet announced.
