Take-Two bookings fall 18 per cent before Grand Theft Auto VI launch
US game publisher Take-Two reported an 18 per cent drop in second fiscal quarter net bookings to 1.60 billion dollars. Revenue also declined, but the quarterly net loss narrowed. Management kept its annual bookings forecast at 8–8.2 billion dollars and reiterated the planned 19 November launch of Grand Theft Auto VI.
Economics & Markets··Evening
Bookings and revenue decline in the fiscal quarter
US game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software reported 1.60 billion dollars in net bookings for its second fiscal quarter, down 18 per cent from a year earlier. The results, released on 9 November, cover the period ended 30 September in fiscal 2027. Accounting revenue fell from 1.77 billion dollars to 1.50 billion dollars.[1], [2]
Net bookings had stood at 1.96 billion dollars in the corresponding quarter. Take-Two defines the measure as products and services sold digitally or delivered into physical distribution during the period. It also includes licensing fees, merchandise, in-game advertising, strategy guides and publisher incentives. The company reports this sales measure separately from accounting revenue.[1]
Recurring spending falls while the loss narrows
Recurrent consumer spending accounted for 81 per cent of total net bookings, while falling 9 per cent from a year earlier on that basis. This spending includes virtual currency, extra content, purchases within games and advertising. On the accounting revenue measure, recurrent consumer spending fell 5 per cent and likewise represented 81 per cent of the total.[1]
The quarterly net loss narrowed to 54 million dollars from 133.9 million dollars. Loss per share declined from 0.73 dollars to 0.29 dollars. Take-Two reported an operating loss of 117.5 million dollars for the quarter. Among the leading contributors to the business were the Grand Theft Auto and Borderlands franchises, as well as mobile games Toon Blast and Words With Friends.[1]
Annual outlook holds ahead of the planned launch
Management retained its fiscal 2027 net bookings forecast of 8–8.2 billion dollars. Chief executive Strauss Zelnick also addressed the planned 19 November launch of Grand Theft Auto VI. The results announcement came ten days before that scheduled release, putting the launch later in the company’s fiscal year than the quarter just reported.[1]
NBA 2K27 sold more than 4 million copies after its 4 September launch. Take-Two said its launch bookings were the second highest in the series, but still missed its quarterly forecast. It expects third-quarter operating expenses on a management basis to rise around 21 per cent annually, mainly for marketing the game.[2]
