By Angela Palumbo
Take-Two Interactive Software reported mixed fourth-quarter financial results about two weeks after announcing the delay of the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI.
The videogame company reported a fourth-quarter loss of $21.08 a share on revenue of $1.58 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting a loss of 5 cents a share on revenue of $1.55 billion under generally accepted accounting principles. Take-Two said in its earnings release that its GAAP results for the quarter included a $3.55 billion goodwill impairment charge.
"We've had a great year, we're off to a terrific start to the year," Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said in an interview with Barron's on Thursday.
For fiscal 2026, Take-Two says it expects revenue to be between $5.95 billion and $6.05 billion, below Wall Street estimates of $7.91 billion. First-quarter revenue is expected to be between $1.35 billion to $1.4 billion, which is just above the consensus analyst estimate of $1.26 billion.
Uncertainty about tariffs has made Wall Street question whether consumers will pull back on nonessential spending. Zelnick told Barron's that while the entertainment industry isn't recession proof, he hasn't seen signs of a consumer slowdown.
The fourth-quarter results come after the company said on May 2 that publishing label Rockstar Games would delay the release of Grand Theft Auto VI to May 26 of next year. It had been expected to be launched this fall.
While it might be some relief for players that there is a specific launch date after years of uncertainty, the delay means investors will have to wait longer than expected to see the financial impact from the release of the highly anticipated game.
"We generally release a title when we believe it's reached its maximum level of creative quality," Zelnick said. "Rockstar Games is seeking perfection. Perfection is a pretty high standard, and we believe that's appropriate."
Write to Angela Palumbo at angela.palumbo@dowjones.com
This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
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May 15, 2025 16:15 ET (20:15 GMT)
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