GTA 6 release window teased by Take-Two Interactive, fueling anticipation

Discover the latest hint at the release window for Grand Theft Auto 6 as Take-Two Interactive shares ambitious projections for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

Publisher and parent company of Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive has possibly hinted at the release window for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6).

Get ready for the groundbreaking GTA 6 launch that could set new industry standards and propel the company to unprecedented success. (Image Credit: Fan made poster)

According to projections shared in their recent press release alongside the annual earnings report, Take-Two expects a major milestone in fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The statement indicates that the company is preparing to launch groundbreaking titles that will set new industry standards and aims to achieve over $8 billion in Net Bookings and $1 billion in ‘Adjusted Unrestricted Operating Cash Flow’ by fiscal 2025. This ambitious projection strongly suggests that GTA 6 could be on the horizon as the driving force behind Take-Two's upcoming success.

The company explained these projections during the call, stating, “Looking ahead, fiscal 2025 is a highly anticipated year for our company. For the last several years, we have been preparing our business to release an incredibly robust pipeline of projects that we believe will take our company to even greater levels of success. In Fiscal 2025, we expect to enter this new era by launching several groundbreaking titles that we believe will set new standards in our industry and enable us to achieve over $8 billion in Net Bookings and over $1 billion in Adjusted Unrestricted Cash Flow. We expect to sustain this momentum by delivering even higher levels of operating results in Fiscal 2026 and beyond.”

While the press release does not explicitly mention GTA, it is difficult to envision any other franchise being responsible for such a significant impact.

Take-Two's record-breaking net bookings of $5.3 billion in the past fiscal year played a crucial role in their accomplishments, thanks in part to their acquisition of Zynga. However, prior to this acquisition, Take-Two's annual net bookings were typically in the $3 billion range, steadily increasing over time.

To reach the $8 billion goal mark, the Rockstar parent company would need substantial acquisitions, a substantial increase in game releases, or the launch of a colossal game. The company anticipates even higher levels of success in the following year, which would likely require a game of GTA's magnitude to achieve.

During a call prior to the earnings announcement, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive was asked about the speculation surrounding GTA 6, but he neither confirmed nor denied it. Zelnick stated that it is not the company's practice to discuss specific, unannounced titles in earnings reports.

Despite the lack of official confirmation from any horse’s-mouth, GTA V remains the best-selling game of all time, followed by Red Dead Redemption 2 with consistent quarterly sales of approximately five million units. The game has sold a staggering 180 million units to date, and GTA Online continues to be a significant revenue generator for Take-Two.

While Rockstar, confirmed active development of GTA 6 last year, details regarding its progress have been scarce. A major data breach in late 2022 provided a glimpse of the incomplete game, but Zelnick later revealed that the leak had not impacted the business, although it was an emotional matter for the creators.