Rockstar delays GTA 6 yet again to Nov 2026, Take Two stock crashes by 18%

Take-Two Interactive Software’s stock plunged by 7% during after-hours trading on Thursday after Rockstar Games announced another delay in the release of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6 to November 19, 2026, even though the title had already been scheduled for Fall 2025, before being pushed once in May alongside a second trailer.

Rockstar’s statement on X said, “We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve.”

The delay announcement came shortly after groups of former workers gathered outside Rockstar’s UK offices, protesting dismissals that took place in late October.

They said management “don’t care about delays to GTA 6” and argued the firings were retaliation against union activity, which Rockstar’s parent denied.

Earnings reveal revenue growth and ongoing losses

Anyway, Take-Two also reported quarterly earnings today, and its revenue for the second quarter increased 33% to $1.96 billion, beating LSEG estimates of $1.72 billion, thanks to to strong performance from titles like NBA 2K26, Borderlands 4, and ongoing sales of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Despite the revenue boost, the company reported a net loss of $133.9 million, or 73 cents per share. The same period the previous year recorded a net loss of $365.5 million, or $2.08 per share, showing the loss narrowed but was still significant.

CEO Strauss Zelnick said on the earnings call that:- “We remain both excited and confident they will deliver an unrivalled blockbuster entertainment experience. With the most robust pipeline in our company’s history, we expect to achieve record levels of Net Bookings in Fiscal 2027.”

Strauss pointed to continued growth momentum, especially in mobile and the NBA 2K franchise, which has now sold more than 167 million units worldwide. Take-Two raised its bookings outlook to a range of $6.38 billion to $6.48 billion, above the prior estimate of $6.05 billion to $6.15 billion.

Reports showed that roughly 40 employees were dismissed after participating in a private Discord chat group involving trade union discussions. A spokesperson for Rockstar’s parent allegedly told Bloomberg this:-

“Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies. This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.”

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain argued otherwise, calling the firings “one of the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the history of the games industry.”

Alex Marshall, president of the union, said in response to Rockstar’s allegations that the gamemaker was “afraid of hard-working staff privately discussing exercising their rights for a fairer workplace and a collective voice. Management are showing they don’t care about delays to GTA VI, and that they’re prioritizing union-busting by targeting the very people who make the game.”

Security enforcement has been strict at Rockstar since the 2022 leak, when unfinished footage of the next game surfaced publicly.

Then in early 2024, staff were required to return to office five days a week, with Rockstar citing security concerns, something the workers’ union called the return-to-office mandate a “reckless” decision.

Meanwhile, the community responded in its own way. On Polymarket, traders gave a 48% chance that Bitcoin hits $1,000,000 before GTA 6 releases, and nearly 50% odds that Jesus returns first.

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