Take-Two Interactive

Ryan Brant raised $1.5 million and established Take-Two in the fall of 1993. Its initial public offering followed in April 1997.⁠[1]

In March 1998 Take-Two bought BMG Interactive from Bertelsmann for about $14.2 million in stock. Grand Theft Auto, one of the acquired titles, became its first major worldwide hit. In 1999 it acquired the game’s developer, DMA Design, and formed the Rockstar Games label.⁠[1]

Take-Two and Rockstar Games released the PlayStation 2 version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in October 2004 and PC and Xbox versions on June 7, 2005. The game contained a sexually explicit mini-game, dubbed “Hot Coffee,” that the ESRB had not rated. On July 20, 2005, the ESRB revoked the rating, changing it from M (Mature 17+) to AO (Adults Only 18+).⁠[2]

In June 2006 the companies reached a proposed consent agreement with the Federal Trade Commission requiring them to disclose rating-relevant content on packaging and in advertising, with civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation of the order.⁠[3]

In February 2007 founder and former chief executive Ryan Brant pleaded guilty in two options-related cases and was banned from holding control management positions in public companies.⁠[4]

In August 2007 Brant was sentenced in New York State Supreme Court to five years’ probation, avoiding prison by cooperating with investigators, and paid $7.3 million in disgorgement, interest and penalties.⁠[5]

In March 2007 a group of shareholders owning nearly half of the company removed the entire board and the chief executive. Strauss Zelnick became chairman and Benjamin Feder acting CEO.⁠[6][7]

In February 2008 the board named Zelnick executive chairman and entered into an employment agreement with Feder to serve as CEO through October 31, 2012.⁠[7]

In 2008 Electronic Arts made a conditional, unsolicited bid for Take-Two, at one point offering $25.74 a share. On September 15, 2008, EA said it would not make any further proposals and had terminated acquisition discussions.⁠[8]

On October 29, 2010, the company announced that Feder would step down as CEO effective January 1, 2011, with Executive Chairman Zelnick taking on the additional role. Karl Slatoff was named to the newly created post of chief operating officer.⁠[9]

Grand Theft Auto V, from the Rockstar Games label, went on sale for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013 and generated worldwide retail sales of more than $1 billion in its first three days.⁠[10]

On March 9, 2018, S&P Dow Jones IndicesS&P Dow Jones IndicesS&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) is a global index provider that compiles and licenses benchmark indices including the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It was formed in 2012 by combining McGraw-Hill’s S&P index business with the Dow Jones Indexes business held by a joint venture of CME Group and Dow Jones, and it is now the index business division of S&P Global, which holds about 73% of the interest.Open the full entry announced that S&P MidCap 400 constituent Take-Two would replace Signet Jewelers in the S&P 500S&P 500The S&P 500 is a U.S. large-cap equity index compiled by S&P Dow Jones Indices. It includes 500 leading companies, covers about 80% of available market capitalization and is described by S&P DJI as “widely regarded as the best single gauge of large-cap U.S. equities.”Open the full entry prior to the open on March 19, in the GICS sub-industry Home Entertainment Software.⁠[11]

On January 10, 2022, Take-Two announced an agreement to acquire Zynga, publisher of FarmVille, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker, at a total enterprise value of about $12.7 billion, or $9.86 per Zynga share based on January 7 closing prices: $3.50 in cash and $6.36 in Take-Two stock. Zelnick said the deal “establishes our leadership position in mobile.”⁠[12]

The combination was completed on May 23, 2022, making Zynga a wholly-owned subsidiary of Take-Two. Zynga stockholders received $3.50 in cash and 0.0406 shares of Take-Two common stock per share.⁠[13]

Grand Theft Auto VI was officially announced in December 2023. It is set in a modern-day Vice City.⁠[14]

On March 27, 2024, Take-Two announced a deal to acquire Gearbox Entertainment, developer of Borderlands and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, for $460 million paid entirely in newly issued shares. Gearbox was to operate as a studio within 2K, led by founder and CEO Randy Pitchford.⁠[15]

The seller, Embracer Group, later announced that the transaction had closed.⁠[16]

On May 2, 2025, Grand Theft Auto VI, previously expected that year, was delayed to May 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Rockstar said, “We are very sorry that this is later than you expected.”⁠[14]

On November 6, 2025, Rockstar moved the release again, to November 19, 2026, saying the extra months would let it finish the game with “the level of polish you have come to expect and deserve.”⁠[17]

As of March 31, 2026, the company had 12,909 full-time employees. Grand Theft Auto V had sold in over 225 million units and Red Dead Redemption 2 more than 80 million.⁠[18]

In fiscal 2026, ended March 31, 2026, GAAP net revenue rose 18% to $6.66 billion from $5.63 billion. The GAAP net loss was $298.2 million, compared with $4.48 billion the year before.⁠[19]

On August 7, 2026, the company announced first-quarter fiscal 2027 GAAP net revenue of about $1.53 billion and a net loss of $34.1 million, and reiterated its full-year Net Bookings outlook of $8.0 to $8.2 billion. As of that date, Grand Theft Auto VI remained scheduled for November 19, 2026.⁠[20]