Game On: Take-Two delays ‘GTA VI’ to November 2026

“Game On” is The Fly’s weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks.

NEW RELEASES: This week’s biggest new release is Activision’s (MSFT) latest first-person shooter “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7,” which launches November 14, 2025 for PC, PlayStation 4 (SONY), PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

TAKE-TWO: Last week, Take-Two (TTWO) reported mixed Q2 results, with GAAP earnings per share missing the Street, but net bookings beating estimates. The company also provided upbeat FY25 net bookings guidance for 2025.

The biggest news coming from the print, however, was that the company was delaying the release is hotly-anticipated game “Grand Theft Auto VI” to November 19, 2026, from May of 2026. “Grand Theft Auto VI will now release on Thursday, November 19, 2026,” developer Rockstar Games said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve.”

“We achieved outstanding second quarter results by releasing new hit titles, driving innovation in live services, and maintaining our commitment to developing the highest quality products,” said Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick. “With momentum across our business, particularly in mobile and NBA 2K, we are raising our Fiscal Year 2026 Net Bookings forecast for the second consecutive quarter. Rockstar Games will now release Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, 2026, and we remain both excited and confident they will deliver an unrivaled blockbuster entertainment experience. With the most robust pipeline in our Company’s history, we expect to achieve record levels of Net Bookings in Fiscal 2027, which will establish a new baseline for our business and set us on a path of enhanced profitability.”

Though the shares took a hit after the announcement, UBS raised the firm’s price target on Take-Two to $292 from $285 and maintained a Buy rating on the stock, saying the delayed timeline for “Grand Theft Auto VI” could weigh on shares initially, but any pullback will be a buying opportunity. Meanwhile, BMO Capital increased the firm’s price target on Take-Two to $275 from $252 and reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares, saying the company delivered an impressive Q2 beat and FY26 guide. The firm still sees stock declines from “GTA VI” delays as a buying opportunity for investors.

Click here to check out recent Media Buzz Sentiment on Take-Two as measured by TipRanks.

SONY: This week, Sony reported year-over-year increases in Q2 earnings per share and revenue, and guided for a slight decline in sales from continuing operations for FY25. Of note, the company said that sales from its Game & Network Services segment rose 4% year-over-year during the period, primarily due to growth of network services revenue and software sales.

More specifically, Sony added that, although performance varies by title, its live service games overall accounted for more than 40% of its first-party software revenue, similar to the previous quarter, and are a recurring source of revenue. Meanwhile, the level of sales and user engagement of Bungie’s “Destiny 2” have not reached expectations the company had at the time of the acquisition of Bungie, though “Helldivers 2” is doing “extremely well,” especially with the recent Xbox release of the title. Meanwhile, PS5 exclusive title “Ghost of Yotei,” which is developed by Sony-owned Sucker Punch, surpassed 3.3M unit sales globally as of November 2, becoming a “major hit” like its predecessor “Ghost of Tsushima, the company said.

In terms of hardware, Sony said it plans to expand the PS5 installed base during the year-end sales season, with the console having how sold up to 84.2M lifetime units since its 2020 release.

SONY JAPAN SALES: Sony’s PlayStation business also (EA) “Battlefield 6” was in second, while Square Enix’s (SQNXF) “Dragon Quest I&II HD-2D Remake” and Bandai Namco’s (NCBDY) “Digimon Story: Time Stranger” and “Little Nightmares 3” rounded out the top five. In the U.S. and Canada, “Battlefield 6” was the top-selling game on the PS Store that month, followed by “Ghost of Yotei,” Take-Two’s “NBA 2K26,” “EA Sports FC 26,” and Embark Studios’ (NEXOF) “ARC Raiders.”

GOOGLE-EPIC SETTLEMENT: Google (GOOGL) has reached a comprehensive settlement with “Fortnite” maker Epic Games over Epic’s 2020 antitrust lawsuit, with Android and Google Play changes to expand competition and choice, pending a U.S. judge’s approval, Reuters’ Mike Scarcella (TCEHY), KKR (KKR), Disney (DIS), and Sony.

MORE VIDEO GAME NEWS:

• EA’s “Battlefield 6” maintained its top spot in European sales last week,(GS) will receive a $110m fee for advising EA on its leveraged buyout, FT reports
• Square Enix will cut jobs across its U.S. and Europe business, VGC says
• Roblox (RBLX) is being sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for allegedly “putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children”