Jessica Clement
Senior research expert covering video games
Take-Two Interactive - Statistics & Facts
While not the flashiest competitor in the video gaming industry, Take-Two Interactive has access to the golden goose of video games: the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) franchise. As the owner of GTA’s developer Rockstar, Take-Two has been cashing in on the enduring popularity of Grand Theft Auto 5. However, in the decade since GTA 5’s release, the gaming industry has undergone tumultuous times, and much of the Take-Two’s future is hinging on the success of the game’s highly anticipated successor, GTA 6, whose release date has finally been revealed for late 2025.
Major franchises in the Take-Two Interactive portfolio include 2K Sports, BioShock, Borderlands, Mafia, Sid Meier's Civilization, and XCOM (via 2K Games), Grand Theft Auto, L.A. Noire, Max Payne and Red Dead (via Rockstar Games). Games owned by Take-Two often boast impressive sales. Grand Theft Auto and the NBA 2K series can claim more than 435 million and 150 million all-time unit sales respectively, and Rockstar’s much-lauded release of Read Dead Redemption 2 saw the game selling a staggering 17 million copies in the two weeks post launch.
2024 has been a year of downsizing and cost-reduction for Take-Two Interactive. In spring 2024, the company announced it was laying off around 600 employees (around 5 percent of its workforce) and axing several projects. More job cuts followed in summer, as well as several studio closures . Finally, in November 2024, Take-Two sold off its indie gaming publisher Private Division for an undisclosed sum to an undisclosed buyer, ostensibly to focus on Take-Two’s core business, after underperforming on several of its recent releases.
With much of its indie and AA business now sold off, Take-Two will focus on its AAA releases for 2025. Slated releases for the year include Civilization VII, Borderlands 4, and Mafia: The Old Country – yet the anticipation for any of these games pales in comparison to Grand Theft Auto 6.
After many years of speculation, GTA 6’s development was confirmed in February 2022, and formally announced in December 2023. However, the cautionary tales of Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) or Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024) highlight that decade-long consumer expectations are almost impossible to live up to. Right now, Take-Two is willing put its cash cow out to pasture and go all-in on GTA 6 – but at this point, replacing a beloved game is a risk. Will Take-Two have another mega hit on its hands, or should the company already brace for impact?
Take-Two’s gaming business and portfolio
Take-Two Interactive is a holding company which owns several major game developers and publishers, including 2K, Rockstar Games, Zynga, and up until November 2024, indie label Private Division. In the company’s fiscal year 2024 (ending March 2024), Take-Two Interactive saw more than 5.3 billion U.S. dollars in revenues, virtually unchanged from the companies best result yet in the previous year. However, this success was marred by an annual net loss of 3.7 billion U.S. dollars, Take-Two’s worst financial performance so far.Major franchises in the Take-Two Interactive portfolio include 2K Sports, BioShock, Borderlands, Mafia, Sid Meier's Civilization, and XCOM (via 2K Games), Grand Theft Auto, L.A. Noire, Max Payne and Red Dead (via Rockstar Games). Games owned by Take-Two often boast impressive sales. Grand Theft Auto and the NBA 2K series can claim more than 435 million and 150 million all-time unit sales respectively, and Rockstar’s much-lauded release of Read Dead Redemption 2 saw the game selling a staggering 17 million copies in the two weeks post launch.
Cutting away the layers
Despite its mega-selling franchises and games, Take-Two is currently going through a tough transformation. The company’s revenue is mainly driven by its Zynga-bolstered mobile segment, and most of the player spending is recurrent content spending and not on new gaming titles.2024 has been a year of downsizing and cost-reduction for Take-Two Interactive. In spring 2024, the company announced it was laying off around 600 employees (around 5 percent of its workforce) and axing several projects. More job cuts followed in summer, as well as several studio closures . Finally, in November 2024, Take-Two sold off its indie gaming publisher Private Division for an undisclosed sum to an undisclosed buyer, ostensibly to focus on Take-Two’s core business, after underperforming on several of its recent releases.
With much of its indie and AA business now sold off, Take-Two will focus on its AAA releases for 2025. Slated releases for the year include Civilization VII, Borderlands 4, and Mafia: The Old Country – yet the anticipation for any of these games pales in comparison to Grand Theft Auto 6.
Will GTA 6 make or break Take-Two’s future?
Originally released in 2013, Grand Theft Auto 5 is available on virtually every gaming platform and to date has sold over 205 million units. Its enduring popularity means that GTA 5 usually features at the top end of monthly software sales rankings, regardless of platform or country. With Grand Theft Auto 5 being a game of superlatives, the bar is sky-high for Grand Theft Auto 6.After many years of speculation, GTA 6’s development was confirmed in February 2022, and formally announced in December 2023. However, the cautionary tales of Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) or Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024) highlight that decade-long consumer expectations are almost impossible to live up to. Right now, Take-Two is willing put its cash cow out to pasture and go all-in on GTA 6 – but at this point, replacing a beloved game is a risk. Will Take-Two have another mega hit on its hands, or should the company already brace for impact?
Jessica Clement
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Nov 25, 2024
Jessica Clement
Senior research expert covering video games
