Take-Two Pulls Another Delay Heist… Falls 7% as Gamers Add “Wait for GTA VI” to 2026 Goals

Take-Two: masters of virtual crime… absolute felons when it comes to deadlines.

After a decade of waiting, gamers finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel… and then Rockstar came out and said, “Oh that? That’s just a loading screen.” Grand Theft Auto VI, a game that’s been teased longer than Elon’s been teasing the new Roadster, just got delayed again. This time, it’s dropping November 19, 2026… or roughly when my 1-year-old nephew starts middle school.

It was supposed to come out in 2025. Then spring 2026. Then May 2026. Well, now it's November. At this point, there’s a decent chance GTA VI launches alongside GTA VII. Rockstar’s official excuse is “We need extra time to polish.” Which, I have to say… if that’s what it takes to get another genius Arthur Morgan character arc, by all means, take your sweet time.

(Source: The Game Business)

CEO Strauss Zelnick put on his best poker face, saying they’re “excited and confident” in the project. Of course he is… he’s got until 2026 to come up with another excuse. Fintwit didn’t buy it though, sending Take-Two down 7%. Clearly, basement dwelling gamers/degenerate traders don’t love hearing, “We promise it’s coming soon” for the sixth year in a row.

Financially, the quarter was an armed robbery (in a good way). Take-Two’s revenue was up 33% to $1.96 billion, thanks to NBA 2K26, Borderlands 4, and the ever-milking Red Dead Redemption 2. But they still managed to lose $133.9 million (probably all on paying designers to make the most detailed palm trees and strippers for GTA VI ). The company also admitted that people aren’t buying as many in-game upgrades… another sign that inflation’s been a b*tch.

Still, Strauss Zelnick insists Take-Two has “the most robust pipeline in its history,” which is kind of like saying you have the best dating life ever while eating dinner alone on FaceTime with your dog. Analysts tried to put a bow on it, claiming that pushing the launch into the holiday season could actually help. But that doesn’t help soften the blow in a world of instant gratification.

Meanwhile, over at Rockstar, things aren’t quite as stable. The studio reportedly laid off a few dozen employees after they tried forming a union… but Rockstar says it was because they “shared confidential information.” Right. And the info in question probably started with, “So… it’s delayed again.”

(Source: Bloomberg)

Still, when GTA VI eventually hits shelves, it’s going to make Apple look like a nonprofit. The hype is too big and the fans are too desperate for it not to be a hit. For now, Take-Two’s fine playing the long game… tanking its stock a bit today in exchange for what’ll probably be the biggest launch in entertainment history. And until that day comes, prepare yourself for another year of memes like “we found Atlantis before we got GTA VI.”

At the time of publishing this article, Stocks.News doesn’t hold positions in companies mentioned in the article.