GTA 6 has been delayed to November 19, 2026, and Take-Two’s latest financial report is in as well! It shows that the company is not in a rush to release the biggest game of the decade.
In an interview with The Game Business, CEO Strauss Zelnick explained that the delay came directly from Rockstar’s request for more polish time. “We only set dates we believe in,” he said, confirming that the new release window still falls within the same fiscal year.
In other words, the delay does not break anything, it is just Rockstar doing what Rockstar does, and that is chasing perfection.
A Record Quarter Without GTA 6
Despite not having a new GTA release in over a decade, Take-Two’s business is doing quite good:
- Net bookings hit $1.96 billion, up 33% year-over-year, so far above expectations.
- Recurrent spending (think GTA+, NBA 2K microtransactions, and virtual currency) is up by 45%.
- GTA+ memberships alone jumped 20%, showing that GTA Online continues to do really good.
- And of course, GTA V has now sold over 220 million copies.
Zelnick made it clear that this level of success gives them the freedom to delay GTA 6 until it is truly ready:
“We want to deliver the best possible version, and that takes time.“
NBA 2K and Borderlands
One of the biggest surprises this quarter came from NBA 2K26, that sold over five million units, showing strong growth compared to last year’s entry. Zelnick highlighted how the NBA franchise still has huge international potential, especially compared to football (soccer) or other sports.
On the other side, Borderlands 4 had a softer start due to PC performance issues at launch. Still, it has been well-received critically, and Take-Two expects it to have a long tail once patches stabilize the game.
Meanwhile, Mafia: The Old Country exceeded expectations, proof, that “well-made story-driven games at fair prices” can still perform extremely well.
A Changing Industry
Zelnick also addressed the news that EA is going private in a $55 billion acquisition deal, that will leave Take-Two as the last major publicly traded U.S. game publisher. Some might see that as a competitive advantage, but Zelnick played it modestly:
“It gives us a bit of room, but we approach it with humility and vigilance. Strong competition benefits the industry overall.“
The Bigger Picture
So yes, GTA 6 is delayed again, but that is ok. Take-Two is doing good without it, running multiple successful franchises, and generating billions from ongoing content.
When GTA 6 finally arrives in late 2026, it will definitely make things even better for the company! In the meantime, players patiently await the release!
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