Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has come out in support of the company’s extensive collection of IPs in response to a query about Grand Theft Auto being a major part of its success.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Zelnick pointed to other very successful franchises, including Red Dead Redemption, NBA 2K, BioShock, Civilization, Borderlands, and WWE 2K, highlighting how several of its franchises have consistently hit staggering sales numbers.
“We have 15 franchises that have each sold at least 5 million units in an individual release. I think we have the best collection of owned intellectual property in the video game business, and I think that’s reflected in our top line, our bottom line, and our market cap. In addition to Grand Theft Auto, we have Red Dead Redemption, a massive title. It sold over 65 million units in the most recent release. Red Dead Online, Grand Theft Auto Online, and NBA 2K, which is the second-biggest sports title worldwide – the biggest in North America.”
It’s easy to see his point, even if those pre-order numbers for GTA 6 still prove the franchise is a heavy contributor. The fact that those numbers don’t include the alleged PC version, reportedly scheduled for early 2027, is telling, given the unprecedented level of interest in a title that’s been a long time coming.
Still, it’s nice to see a company that doesn’t put all its eggs in one basket, no matter how massive that basket may be (even if one of those eggs hatches into something that becomes one of the company’s highest earners yet). There’s something to be said for diversifying your interests, after all.
Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on November 19th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5. Check out the latest batch of launch screenshots here and stay tuned for more updates.
