GTA 6 Pre-Orders 'Far Exceeding' Take-Two's Expectations, Zelnick Says

As Grand Theft Auto VI nears its November 19 launch, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick says pre-orders are "far exceeding" internal targets, though the publisher is holding its annual revenue forecast steady at $8 billion. "We're not updating our numbers right now because we are so close to the launch," he told GamesIndustry.biz.

While GTA 6 dominates the spotlight, Zelnick addressed other projects. BioShock 4 remains in development after facing "challenges" and leadership changes at Cloud Chamber, but he now feels it's on the right track. The live-service extraction shooter Project Ethos received a "disappointing" public beta but has since been reworked and now looks promising, he said.

Zelnick dismissed concerns that the live-service model is fading, pointing out that over 81% of Take-Two's net bookings stem from recurrent consumer spending. "The bulk of our business is live services," he noted, cautioning that free-to-play ventures are especially tough. The company is actively hunting for acquisitions that add new IP, tech, and talent—pointing to Zynga and Gearbox as accretive deals.

On legacy franchises, Zelnick teased work on some "excited" revivals but warned: "There's no such thing as easy money in our business." The mobile division grew 4% year-over-year, and 15 franchises have each moved at least five million units individually, providing a broad growth base beyond blockbusters.

For players, the interview signals that Take-Two isn't putting all its eggs in the GTA 6 basket. Development stumbles on BioShock and Project Ethos haven't killed those projects, and there's genuine interest in dusting off old series—though don't expect quick cash-ins.

Which classic Take-Two franchise would you love to see get a modern revival?