Take-Two Interactive Stock Rally on GTA VI Pre‑order Announcement
Take‑Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ:TTWO) shares rose 4 percent on Thursday after Rockstar Games announced on X that digital and retail pre‑orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will open on June 25. The announcement also disclosed the game’s official retail box cover art, generating immediate viral momentum across social media platforms.
The pre‑order window opens five months ahead of the scheduled November 19 launch, signalling to institutional investors that the November release target is now firmly locked in after a history of delays. The title was originally teased for a generic 2025 window, later shifted to mid‑2026, and then postponed to late 2026 before the current November 19 date was confirmed. When Rockstar previously delayed the game into late 2026 to “polish and perfect” the experience, Take‑Two’s stock fell as much as 18 percent in a single day.
Take‑Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has previously guided FY2027 net bookings to rise to between $8 billion and $8.2 billion, reflecting expectations of a substantial revenue boost from the GTA VI launch. Piper Sandler reiterated an Overweight rating on Take‑Two with a $280 price target, projecting that GTA VI could realistically sell over 45 million units at launch alone. For comparison, its predecessor Grand Theft Auto V remains the fastest‑selling entertainment product in history, generating $1 billion in revenue within the first 72 hours of its 2013 release and eventually surpassing 200 million copies sold over its lifetime.
The June 25 pre‑order period will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S digital storefronts, as well as through physical placeholders at major global retailers, positioning the title for a broad market rollout.