Take-Two Interactive Software Inc faced a significant market reaction after announcing another delay for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, with shares plummeting as much as 10% in a single day. However, Wall Street analysts remain overwhelmingly optimistic about the company's long-term prospects.
Market Reaction and Analyst Confidence
The Friday selloff marked the worst one-day decline for Take-Two stock in three years, as investors digested the news that GTA VI's release would be pushed back from May 2026 to November 2026. Despite this sharp reaction, the vast majority of analysts covering the company maintained their positive outlook.
Of the 34 analysts tracked by Bloomberg, only two rate the stock as "hold" while just one recommends selling. The remaining 31 analysts continue to advocate buying Take-Two shares, demonstrating remarkable resilience in their investment thesis.
Price Target Increases Despite Delay
Several prominent analysts actually raised their price targets following the delay announcement. Wedbush's Alicia Reese, known as one of Wall Street's biggest bulls on the stock, increased her 12-month price target by $10 to $300. "We expect shares to rebound ultimately," she noted, while acknowledging that "Take-Two must get this game right; large bugs or imperfections could cause a dip in initial sales and long-term ill will."
Raymond James analyst Andrew Marok also expressed confidence, setting his price target at $275 and stating, "We would be buyers on weakness following the print as the thesis into the GTA VI launch remains intact despite a longer wait." The collective analyst sentiment suggests the stock could climb approximately 18% over the next 12 months.
Strategic Timing and Revenue Potential
Bloomberg Intelligence's Nathan Naidu offered an interesting perspective on the delay's potential silver lining. "The new timing removes the game from a typical seasonal trough for engagement during the summer months and places it closer to the holiday season in the winter months," he explained. Naidu estimates that GTA VI will generate $2 billion in revenue during its first year alone.
The game's development journey has seen multiple adjustments since fans got their first glimpse through a trailer released in December. Take-Two initially targeted a 2025 release before pushing it to May 2026 earlier this year. The latest delay moves the launch to November 2026, when gamers will finally experience the fictional version of Miami, Florida known as Vice City.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Cory Carpenter views the delay as "a good opportunity for investors to get in ahead of the eventual title release," noting that "the rest of the Take-Two portfolio continues to perform exceptionally well." This sentiment is reflected in the stock's performance, which has advanced 27% year-to-date despite the recent setback.
While the delay means development costs will continue mounting and revenue from the likely blockbuster gets pushed further out, analysts broadly agree that getting the game right is more important than meeting an arbitrary deadline. The extended development cycle, though frustrating for fans, may ultimately benefit both the game's quality and its commercial performance when it finally hits the market.
