Take-Two Stock Drops Amid GTA 6 Leaks - Benzinga

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc (NASDAQ:TTWO) shares are falling Monday, potentially facing selling pressure tied to a string of leaks surrounding “Grand Theft Auto VI” ahead of the game’s Nov. 19 release.

Grand Theft Auto VI, the long-awaited next entry in Take-Two subsidiary Rockstar Games’ flagship franchise, has dominated gaming headlines for weeks after a wave of leaked clips began circulating online.

Even though the material surfaced well before launch, it seems to have poured extra fuel onto interest that was already running hot. It’s been more than a decade since the last mainline release, Grand Theft Auto V, hit shelves in September 2013, and after a lengthy string of pushed-back timelines, the sequel is now locked in for a Nov. 19 launch.

Footage circulating from the leaks reportedly gives away plot details, character moments and gameplay mechanics well ahead of schedule, potentially ruining surprises for players who wanted to experience the game fresh. Even so, that spoiler risk hasn’t translated into weaker demand. Take-Two’s chief executive has pointed out that shoppers are gravitating toward the pricier $99.99 Ultimate edition of the game over the standard $79.99 version at a faster clip.

Even with the leaks, industry watchers still expect GTA 6 to stand as the decade’s biggest video game release, BBC reported. Its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, has moved more than 200 million copies since launching in 2013, and the two trailers Rockstar has released for the new game have already pulled in nearly 500 million views combined on YouTube.

Following the spread leaks, Rockstar broke its public silence last week, describing the episode as gut-wrenching for everyone on the development team in a message shared through social media. The studio owned up to how drawn-out the process has felt for fans, covering everything from finishing the game itself, which it says is nearly done, to keeping the community updated with real details and gameplay footage.

“This is obviously not how we intended for you to see the game after all this time,” the company said in the statement.

Looking ahead, Rockstar said it’s eager for people to see the extended look that was released Aug. 27 on Netflix, and also promised to deliver something that lives up to what fans have been waiting for, while conceding that some of what made the game special may now be spoiled because of the leaks.

TTWO Price Action: Take-Two shares were down 6.22% at $220.75 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro.

Take-Two Interactive Software, on Aug. 7, reported adjusted earnings were 35 cents per share, topping the analyst consensus of 33 cents.

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