Take-Two CEO says hit games remain human responsibility as GTA 6 nears

Take-Two Interactive Software Chief Executive Strauss Zelnick used the company’s Q2 2027 earnings call on November 9, 2026, to say that creating a hit remains the responsibility of human developers while answering investor questions about artificial intelligence, ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6’s November 19, 2026, launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

In February, he said generative AI plays no role in what Rockstar Games is building and dismissed the idea of AI creating a game on the scale of Grand Theft Auto. In March, he said AI is not capable of handling games the size of Grand Theft Auto 6. On November 5, 2026, he described Grand Theft Auto 6 as handcrafted and said Take-Two relies on AI and machine learning to work more efficiently without confirming exactly how AI factors into the game.

The Q2 2027 earnings call took place on November 9, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. PT and 4:30 p.m. ET, streaming on Twitch, X, Facebook and Take-Two’s investor relations site. Take-Two Interactive is the parent company behind Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K.

During the call, Zelnick said Take-Two is scaling its defenses against bad actors using artificial intelligence appropriately, focusing on stronger technical protections and legal action. He said all entertainment businesses face some piracy, which is likely to hit Take-Two more or less, though he believes Take-Two can manage it. He added that games have avoided piracy because of large file sizes, how consoles work and the industry’s online setup, but AI creates a new danger. Zelnick also said every technological advance has helped Take-Two and that he hopes progress speeds up, with the company’s creative success coming from people using technology.

Zelnick made similar points in a November 6, 2026 interview, describing piracy as a fact of life across entertainment and said it matters less in interactive entertainment because of huge game file sizes and complexity, though it is not a non-issue. He said the company would answer significant piracy with legal and technical steps. He also said Rockstar’s games depend heavily on server connections, meaning anyone copying Grand Theft Auto 6 would need to build competitive servers alone, which he described as a poor experience.

Beebom reported that some reports say Grand Theft Auto 6 could require PlayStation 5 firmware version 14.22, which would make it difficult for players with jailbroken consoles to access the game.

Elsewhere on the November 9 call, Zelnick said Grand Theft Auto 6 is tracking well and that pre-order numbers are well above expectations, adding that the game’s success will set a new baseline for Take-Two’s gaming business. He said the November 19 launch is 10 days away, that pre-orders remain far above initial expectations, and that the company expects a historic year. Zelnick said the numbers will speak for themselves soon enough and that he could not disclose the exact figures.

Sensor Tower reported Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders at nearly eight million ahead of the launch. No exact Grand Theft Auto 6 sales figures have been released, and the game’s exact contribution to the roughly $8 billion net bookings estimate remains unknown.

Take-Two held its full-year guidance at $8 billion for Fiscal Year 2027, declining to update the figures with the launch just 10 days away. The company forecast net bookings for Fiscal Year 2027 in a range from $8 billion to $8.2 billion. Take-Two expects expense growth to reach 5% year over year, driven mainly by Grand Theft Auto 6 marketing and higher research and development spending.

Recurrent consumer spending should match Fiscal 2026 at 65% of net bookings, assuming strong Grand Theft Auto VI: Ultimate Edition sales and high-single digit growth for NBA 2K, according to Chief Financial Officer Lainie Goldstein. Goldstein projects recurrent consumer spending to rise by 12% in the third quarter, with Grand Theft Auto 6 as a major factor. The bulk of Take-Two’s business is live services and recurrent consumer spend, which makes up the majority of the business today, and roughly 81% of net bookings come from recurrent consumer spending.

Q2 net bookings landed at the low end of the range, though profitability was strong, and Zelnick called the quarter terrific. NBA 2K27 posted the second-best launch in NBA 2K franchise history.

Fifteen hit franchises have each moved at least five million units in a single release, and mobile revenue rose 4% year over year during the quarter. Take-Two seeks accretive deals, meaning transactions that increase earnings per share, that bring in intellectual property, technology, talent and audiences, pointing to Zynga and Gearbox as recent examples. The company does not name acquisition targets in advance and typically reveals deals after they close.

Zynga closed in mid ’22, and the mobile business immediately fell out of bed, although Zelnick said the deal was accretive from the start. Gearbox represents a more recent accretive deal.

Take-Two is working on some legacy franchises and owns older intellectual property it may revive, though Zelnick said guaranteed money does not exist in the business. BioShock 4 remains in development, and Take-Two feels good about its progress. A 2025 report said Cloud Chamber cut around 80 jobs and changed leaders while BioShock 4 was in development. Project Ethos saw a disappointing public beta, leading Take-Two to make changes and now feel optimistic.

The company does not think the live service wave is over, though free-to-play games remain difficult on mobile, PC and console.

Grand Theft Auto V has reached 235 million copies sold, and the full Grand Theft Auto franchise has sold more than 480 million copies worldwide. Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K rank as the top two franchises driving positive net bookings.