Another ‘GTA 6’ release delay sends Take-Two shares lower today

Some of the biggest video game news of the season revolves around a game that was not expected this year, even though it was previously expected.

Shares of Take-Two Interactive ( TTWO ) fell 8% Friday, making them among the S&P 500’s biggest fallers, following last night’s news that the company will delay the release of one of the industry’s most popular games — the sixth installment in the “Grand Theft Auto” series — until November 2026. The company said earlier this year that it would postpone the game from its original target date, in 2025, to next May.

Take-Two’s Rockstar Games division will now be released Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, 2026, and we remain excited and confident that they will deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience,” Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said in a statement.

This news may have overshadowed the upbeat outlook for the fiscal year — scheduled to end March 31 — which included improved forecasts for revenue and net loss per share compared to those provided earlier this year. Bookings for the last completed quarter were also better than Take-Two had previously indicated.

The company’s shares have risen more than 25% this year, and most analysts expect that to continue despite the recent disappointment. Visible Alpha recently only tracked “buy” ratings, and the average price target is higher than yesterday’s close.

“Address from [the latest] “The results are undoubtedly a further delay for GTA VI,” Jefferies analysts wrote. “We’ve been here before, we expect anything [near-term] Weakness in purchasing similar to past delays.”

UBS analysts believe that once the marketing machine gets into gear, investors will feel more confident about the stock and the business. “Good things come to those who wait,” they wrote.