Back to the spray shop… Shares of gaming giant Take-Two jumped 5% yesterday after it confirmed the upcoming launch of “Grand Theft Auto 6.” The Take-Two-owned production house Rockstar said GTA 6’s official trailer will drop next month, and the game’s release date is rumored to be as early as next year. The GTA franchise, which debuted in 1997, has sold 400M+ copies. The most recent installment, GTA 5, was released in 2013, and still ranks as the second-best-selling game of all time after Microsoft’s “Minecraft.”
Bonus point: Take-Two also reported earnings yesterday, meeting expectations. While net bookings fell in the quarter, the results were overshadowed by GTA hype.
The GTA effect… Take-Two suffered the biggest leak in gaming history last year after a hacker posted 90 unreleased clips from GTA 6, but it hasn’t killed the excitement. Fans (and investors) have waited a decade for #6. Anticipation has been fueled by GTA’s rep of top-notch graphics and massive open-world gameplay. Last year, Rockstar cashed in on its popular GTA online multiplayer community by launching a $6/month GTA+ subscription. Take-Two said GTA 5 outperformed last quarter, and expects more GTA+ subs next year.
The game’s never really over… when fans keep playing. Take-Two doesn’t need to constantly crank out new titles: it’s leaned on its GTA profit puppy for decades. Similarly, Activision’s “Call of Duty” fan base has embraced each release since its 2003 debut, keeping it one of the top 10 best-selling game franchises. While the GTA 6 release date is unconfirmed, Take-Two suggested it’s expecting some record results next year.