Take-Two says Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders top expectations

Take-Two Interactive said pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 are tracking far above the publisher’s initial expectations, according to its Q2 FY27 earnings report issued Nov. 9, 2026.

Despite the surge, Take-Two is maintaining its fiscal 2027 net bookings guidance range of $8 to $8.2 billion (net bookings is the total value of sales Take-Two expects to record), saying the release is only 10 days away and results will be clearer after launch. CEO Strauss Zelnick told investors that pre-order demand remains strong and that Take-Two expects a historic year. Zelnick said Take-Two cannot disclose pre-order numbers, and that prior expectations aligned with guidance. Zelnick will join the publisher’s Q2 FY27 earnings call following the report.

Sensor Tower estimates Grand Theft Auto 6 has accumulated roughly 7.71 million digital pre-orders on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, worth about $751 million. The estimate grew from about 6.45 million pre-orders and $630 million two weeks earlier, an increase of roughly 1.26 million copies and $120 million. GamesIndustry.biz reported the current figure as nearly 8 million based on Sensor Tower data. The estimates cover digital pre-orders only and exclude physical retail copies, so the actual total could exceed the published estimate.

The $751 million estimate is approaching Grand Theft Auto 5’s first-day sales figure of more than $800 million, though sources caution the comparison is not exact because Take-Two’s official figures measure post-launch sales while Sensor Tower tracks pre-orders ahead of release. Cyberpunk 2077 holds the pre-order record with more than 8 million pre-orders, leaving Grand Theft Auto 6 about 290,000 copies short.

Grand Theft Auto 6 releases Nov. 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with digital preloading beginning Nov. 10. Physical pre-orders are a code in a box, physical discs will not be available at launch, and players cannot redeem physical pre-orders until launch day.

Take-Two cited robust sales of the $100 Grand Theft Auto VI Ultimate Edition as part of its high fiscal 2027 outlook. The package includes several exclusive perks, including access to exclusive in-game shops. Earlier reports indicated nearly 90 percent of pre-orders were for the Ultimate Edition, a figure that predates the earnings report and appeared in Take-Two’s Q2 FY27 materials alongside the $100 price point. The $100 digital deluxe edition was outselling the $80 regular version.

Take-Two anticipates Q2 net bookings of $3.35 to $3.5 billion. Take-Two’s Q2 2027 covered August through October, and its financial results were shared with investors on Monday morning before Zelnick’s call. Net bookings fell 18 percent year over year, totaling $6.72 billion last year and $5.56 billion the year before, and net revenue also declined.

Roughly 81 percent of Take-Two’s net bookings come from recurrent consumer spending (money players keep spending after they buy a game, such as on in-game items and add-ons), and Zelnick described the business as basically running on live services, punctuated by major releases. The company expects a 12 percent increase in that spending based on Grand Theft Auto growth led by Ultimate Edition sales. Take-Two has 15 franchises that have each sold at least five million units in an individual release, and its mobile business rose 4 percent year over year, with Zelnick saying the segment keeps performing and releasing new hits.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is Take-Two’s only upcoming game with a firm release date. Project ETHOS, BioShock, and Judas remain without firm dates, while 2K is preparing sports titles for next year. Kotaku said everything hangs on GTA 6 for now. NBA 2K27 was the second most successful launch in the history of the NBA 2K franchise, according to CEO Strauss Zelnick.

Grand Theft Auto 5 still sells roughly five million copies per quarter and has reached nearly 235 million copies in recent months, bringing the franchise to nearly 480 million units. Grand Theft Auto 5 generated more than $800 million in worldwide sales in its first 24 hours in September 2013 per official Take-Two figures and passed $1 billion in three days. Kotaku contrasted the pre-order surge with GTA 5’s continued sales pace as the sequel’s launch approaches.

Walmart offered a ‘surprise’ pre-order incentive for Grand Theft Auto 6 alongside free bonus content bundled with purchases. Take-Two’s most recent large acquisition was Zynga, which closed in mid ’22 and was accretive from the start, meaning earnings per share rose rather than fell, even though its mobile business declined immediately after the deal. Take-Two announces acquisitions only after completing them.