Will Wall Street buy GTA 6 after Rockstar's rebuild?

During development of GTA 6, Rockstar Games increased its workforce to 4,711, almost twice its previous size. Its parent company, Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), remains significantly lower in value this year, with the launch just one month away.

According to Bloomberg, analysts project roughly 40 million units sold and $3 billion in revenue in the first four months after launch. TTWO, however, ended Friday's session at $205.28, a drop of 21.86% over 12 months.

Has Rockstar Fixed Its Overtime Issue?

Bloomberg News covered the transformation. The studio reworked its development approach to limit overtime. Yet, some extra hours were unavoidable, the report stated.

Staff numbers increased from 2,441 at the launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018 to 4,711 across 12 studios by August.

GTA 6's development spanned over eight years and encountered two delays, with the most recent one setting the release date for Nov. 19.

The studio is confident that the effort invested will reduce the production time for its next big title.

Is GTA 6 Already Reflected in Take-Two's Stock Price?

Take-Two projects net bookings of $8 billion to $8.2 billion for fiscal 2027, which tracks combined digital and physical revenue. That forecast was reaffirmed in August, with the company pointing to the Nov. 19 release.

In the first fiscal quarter ending June, net bookings dropped 3% to $1.39 billion. Despite that, GTA titles generally contribute under 15% of quarterly revenue, according to GameSpot.

The standard edition of GTA 6 is set at roughly $80, which is $20 more than GTA V's price at its 2013 debut, per GameSpot.

StoneX analyst Mike Hickey maintains a Buy recommendation and a $300 target for TTWO. Hickey attributes the stock's drop to the timing of the online component, decelerating console sales, and early worries about NBA 2K27 sales.

There are ongoing worries about leaks; a pseudonymous GTA 6 leaker has threatened to reveal the game's conclusion if apprehended. In a separate development, Xbox refuted claims of exclusive cloud streaming rights for GTA 6 earlier this month.

In the end, the Nov. 19 launch will reveal if a larger Rockstar can convert eight years of development into the sales that analysts anticipate. It will also put to the test the studio's conviction that its subsequent title could be completed more quickly.