GTA VI’s $3.2 Billion Launch Could Break Records… Why I’m Betting Take Two Stock Will Jump 40%+

Forget the movie theater, Rockstar Games is about to remind everyone why video games are the apex predators of the entertainment world. After a decade of teasing, instagram memes, and enough fan theories to rival Avengers Endgame, Grand Theft Auto VI is finally pulling into Vice City.

Take-Two Interactive, the parent company behind Rockstar Games, is getting ready for what analysts are calling the biggest entertainment launch of 2025… and maybe ever (sounds a bit like a Trump speech, huh?). Forget blockbusters like Inside Out 2 ($1.7 billion) or Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.3 billion). GTA VI is projected to collect $3.2 billion in its first year. Heck, it’s expected to pocket $1 billion in pre-orders before anyone even gets their hands on a controller.

If you’re not a gamer and actually spend time with your family, you’re probably wondering: what’s all the hype about? This isn’t just your average cops-and-robbers game. Grand Theft Auto VI will feature a Bonnie-and-Clyde-style duo causing havoc across Vice City (think Miami but with more neon, more crime, and probably fewer retirees than actual Florida). The first trailer dropped in December 2023 and racked up 231 million views on YouTube, so yeah it’s a pretty big deal.

Yoshio Osaki, CEO of IDG Consulting, sums it up: “The pent-up demand is greater than anything we’ve seen before.” (Are we sure Trump isn’t their CEO?). Still, he’s not wrong. Fans have been waiting over a decade, and the numbers don’t lie.

GTA VI might be the only bright spot in a gaming market that’s been as exciting as watching paint dry. Once people swapped their consoles for concerts and vacations, the gaming market cooled off. Companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Ubisoft have shed 33,000 jobs since 2022, and growth for 2025 is crawling at only 2.2%. The days of double-digit surges are a distant memory. But Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two’s CEO, is unfazed. “I think Rockstar Games will once again deliver something absolutely phenomenal,” he said. Pretty confident, but given that GTA V has sold over 205 million copies since 2013, it’s not exactly a hot take.

Producing GTA VI reportedly cost upwards of $2 billion, including post-launch content updates. That’s a lot of moolah to drop on a single game for a company worth $33.15 billion… almost like betting your house, your neighbor’s house, and maybe even your dog on one spin of the roulette wheel. If it flops (highly unlikely, but let’s pretend), it could send Take-Two into the basement. But if it succeeds, it might just be worth the long wait.

For now, all eyes are on Take-Two. When the last GTA game was released, the stock jumped 40% within 6 months. Will history repeat itself? With AI creeping into the industry, Ubisoft dropping another Assassin’s Creed, and Nintendo cooking up a new Switch, 2025 might just become the year of Gaming.

P.S. Our "Insider Trade Tracker" recently flagged Peter Anevski, CEO & Director of Progyny, dropping $3 MILLION on his own company’s stock. That’s the kind of stinking rich confidence you don’t see every day… and exactly why our tool is a must-have for spotting where the smart money is moving in real time. Oh, and while we’re at it, we just ranked #23 for free News Apps, ahead of The Washington Post, CNN, Bloomberg, and more. 🎉 Wanna see what else we’re tracking? Become a Stocks.News premium member today. Or, no pressure… feel free to keep enjoying our free articles. Your call. 😉

Stock.News has positions in Microsoft.