Take-Two Interactive has told investors that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI are "continuing to reach unprecedented levels", even as NBA 2K27 came in below the company's own forecast and dragged its September quarter down.
The publisher reported net bookings of $1.60 billion for the second quarter of its 2027 fiscal year, which ended on 30 September. That is down 18% from $1.96 billion a year earlier. GAAP net revenue fell to $1.50 billion from $1.77 billion, and the company posted a net loss of $54.0 million, or $0.29 per share, compared with a $133.9 million loss in the same period last year.
"The launch of Grand Theft Auto VI is ten days away and, with pre-orders continuing to reach unprecedented levels, we expect to deliver an historic year for our company," said chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick.
NBA 2K27 misses the mark
Recurrent consumer spending, which covers virtual currency, add-on content and in-game purchases, fell 9% and made up 81% of net bookings. According to GamesBeat, Take-Two said NBA 2K27 has sold more than four million units, but that this was below expectations, partly because the launch window was unusually busy. Bloomberg reported that the shortfall was tied to the shadow GTA VI has cast over this year's AAA releases.
2K plans to push more content into NBA 2K27 in the second half of the fiscal year, including themed Seasons, new College Basketball modes and additions to MyTeam.
All eyes on 19 November
Take-Two reiterated its full-year outlook of $8.0 billion to $8.2 billion in net bookings, a figure that rests heavily on Grand Theft Auto VI, which launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on 19 November. For the December quarter, which will include the game's first weeks on sale, the company expects net bookings of $3.35 billion to $3.50 billion.
Reuters reported that this range sits slightly below what Wall Street had expected, and cited Sensor Tower data estimating around 7.71 million digital pre-orders worldwide as of 3 November.
Beyond GTA VI, Take-Two's announced line-up includes Judas from Ghost Story Games, the next BioShock, PGA TOUR 2K27, WWE 2K27 and CSR 3.
