GTA 6 is g??oing to be the biggest release of this generation, if not of all time. I know it. You know it. Luddites who ha??ve shunned modern society know it. While we still don't know exactly when it'll be released, we can safely say it'll be quite the money spinner for developer Rockstar Games. But how much is it likely to make?

Well, according to a report from PCGamesN �?which points to a paywalled article from the Financial Times �?it’s estimated that GTA 6 could earn about $3.2 billion withi??n its first year? of launching. This comes from DFC Intelligence, a company that specializes in market analysis.

Over three billion in sales within 12 months is an astonishing amount. But consider that this doesn't include the $1 billion revenue the upcoming Grand Theft Auto release could earn from pre-orders alone. For some perspective, as of August 2024, GTA 5 has racked up around $8.6 billion in its lifetime, according to figures.?? Bear in ??mind that came out in 2013.

That's enough cheddar to make a cheddar galaxy

Grand Theft Auto has been one of the most successful video game franchises in history. The fifth installment alone has gone down as the second best-selling game of all time, at around 205,000,000 copies sold worldwide (Minecraft is still reigning ?champion at 300,000,000 c??opies).

The hype for GTA 6 is all too real, with theories and speculations a-plenty. We're anticipating Rockstar will release it sometime this year, possib??ly in the fall or maybe later. But we?'ve got no solid information to go off, so all we can do is wait.

Suffice it to say, the sixth entry is going to be somewhat lucrative for its developer (as well as parent company Take-Two Interactive). They may as well tell us that GTA 6 ??will earn a bajillion dollars. I'd easily believe it. I also pity the studios that are looking to release their games around t?he same time.

The post GTA 6 could make ove??r $3 billion in its first year, analy??sts say appeared first on Destructoid.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is the most highly anticipated video ?game that's currently in development, and its eventual release is likely going to change the industry forever. With Rockstar currently aiming for a 2025 release, this gaming juggernaut is understandably intimidating many other companies.

Anonymous sources from competing video game publishers talked to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier and confirmed that these companies are waiting as long as possible to see when Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch before they announce a specific release date for their own products. They're especiall??y concerned because Rockstar still hasn't announced an official date for the game, and nobody is really sure if it's going to make its deadline or if the studio will delay? it to 2026.

The concerns of these competitors are 100% justified because Grand Theft Auto 6 will inevitably become the biggest game of whatever year it comes? out in. Almost everyone will be playing it and talking?? about it on social media for at least a few weeks after its launch, so releasing another high-budget video game around the same time would be a death sentence, no matter what IP it belongs to.

You can expect multiple game delays the moment Rockstar announces its concrete release date. Nevertheless, the fact that GTA 6 is having this big of an effect on the entire industry is undeniable proof of how excited consumers are about it. After all, they have been waiting for this game for over 10 years, seeing as GTA 5 came out way back in 2013.

Is Grand Theft Auto 6 actually coming out in 2025?

At the end of the day, that's the real question. Rockstar released the first Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer a little over a year ago (wh??ich quickly became one of the most watched game trailers in YouTube's history) that confirm??ed that it's going to come out sometime in 2025 but hasn't revealed much more information about the? game since.

In the span of a year, there have been multiple rumors abo??ut the potential release of a s?econd trailer, but it hasn't materialized yet. To make things even worse, Rockstar's parent company and GTA 6's publisher, Take-Two, laid off 400 employees back in April, which many fans saw as a bad sign. On the bright side, the CEO of the company, Strauss Zelnick, said that Rockstar delayed the game internally because it "seeks perfection" and that, fortunately, Take-Two is confident that Grand Theft Auto 6 will come out in the Fall of 2025.

The post Publishers want to release their games as?? far away from Grand Theft Auto 6 as possible appeared first on Destructoid.

Musician Martyn Ware has taken to Twitter recently to air his frustration with Rockstar Games. The source of the Heaven 17 member's dismay is an offer he allegedly received from the acclaimed studio to put his song in Grand Theft Auto 6, which he refused.

Ware claims Rockstar contacted his publisher about the band's song "Temptation" possibly being used in the studio's upcoming title Grand Theft Auto 6. The offer was $7,500 for each of th??e three writers of the song, which would serve as a buyout of the band's claim to royalties.

Ware learned the details of Rockstar's offer in an email sent to him from his publisher. The musician wasn't impressed?? with the amount offered by Rockstar, and he was upset that accepting the money would lock him out of receiving any royalties due to the game's success. Martyn's publisher attempted to make a counter-offer of $75,000 up front or $7,500 with a royalty fee. However, the studio allegedly refused to negotiate.

Some Twitter users are claiming that the amount offered was a standard rate, going so far as to call Ware greedy. Others claimed the exposure and uptick in digital streams of "Temptation" would make up for the lack of royalties. Martyn responded to these claims by pointing out Grand Theft Auto V grossed $8,600,000,000 and that every one ??million streams of the song would net each writer around $1,0??00 each, concluding with a "go fuck yourself."

Rockstar has yet to mak??e an official statement on the matter.

The post Rock star blasts Rockstar Games over ‘extremely low’ offer to put song in GTA 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

Following confirmation that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be launching in the fall of 2025, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has said the company is "highly confident" it will meet that target, while also setting some rather lofty expectations by calling t??he game "an experience that no one has seen before."

In a recent CNBC interview (spotted and shared by Twitter user Dyllie), Zelnick was asked about the decision-ma??king? behind choosing a release window.

?"Well, there is slippage in the industry, and we're not immune from that," said Zelnick. "However, we narrowed the timing because we are highly confident in that timing."

He explained there are multiple elements; one of which is determined by how many bugs are in the game. While the team at Rockstar will obviously be aiming to minimize that amount by launch, Zelnick added, "In the case of an extraordinary title, for which there are extraordinary expectations, it's not really about bugs. It's about creating an experience that no one?? has seen before, and Rockstar Games seeks perfect??ion."

I don't doubt the team at Rockstar is working extremely hard on GTA 6, and it'll probably be a very good game. However, fan expectations already incredibly high for it (it's been over 10 years since Grand Theft Auto 5, after all), and suggesting GTA 6 won't be like any other video game feels like going overboard. It's bound to be technically impressive, but I can't imagine it'll be that much different from previous GTA games. If anything, if it's nothing like those games, that only risks upsetting long-time fans who are looking for a new GTA.

Zelnick's comments can arguably be written off as him simply generating hype and not meant to be taken at face value. However, Take-Two itself likely has the highest expectations of all for GTA 6. GTA 5 made $1 billion in just three days (via IGN) when it launched in 2013; is Take-Two expecting similar results? If anything, it may want even better results since GTA 6 is no doubt proving more expensive to make than its predecessor, but a lot has changed in the past decade. Game prices have gone up and not everyone's willing to drop $70 on a new release, especially when eve?rything else has been getting more expen??sive too.

As for that fall release date, Zelnick has acknowledged Take-Two isn't immune to "slippage," suggesting a delay isn't entirely out of the question. That said, Take-Two will probably avoid pushing GTA 6 back if it can, and only agree to a delay as a last resort. After all, given the fan expectations, GTA 6 does stand to make a lot of money and Take-Two will want that income ASAP. It's not going to want to wait till the ga??me's 'perfect,' since such a g??oal is frankly unobtainable, or at the very least take up even more development time.

The post Take-Two CEO is ‘highly confident’ in fall 2025 window for GTA 6 appeared first on Destructoid.

After Take-Two Interactive announced it would be laying off 5% of its workforce in April, it was ??reported just a couple of weeks later that the company would also be shuttering two of its subsidiaries: Roll7 and Intercept Games. However, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has denied closing down any ?such studios while at the same time refusing to confirm that they're still open.

During an interview with IGN, Zelnick was asked about why it was decided that Roll7 (the London-based studio behind Rollerdrome and OlliOlli World) and Intercept Games (the Seattle-based studio that made Kerbal Space Program 2) would close. Zelnick simply answered with, "We didn't shutter those studios," adding, "We've announced that we're saving $165 million in existing and futur?e costs, but we hav??en't shuttered anything."

IGN did push for a definitive answer on whether this means both studios remain operational, but a PR representative stepped in to refer back to the company's cost reduction plan. Basically, all Take-Two is willing to say is that 5% of staff worldwide were let go, ?but it "did not give a label-by-label breakdown of what that looks like." When asked again about the status of Roll7 and Intercept Games, the PR representati?ve only said, "We have not provided any additional color beyond what I just said."

So, does this mean Take-Two is denying the Bloomberg report? Again, it didn't offer a concrete answer but, in the wake of IGN's interview, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier posted on Twitter part of the note Roll7 employees had re?ceived and shared with him. The note clearly states, "We are therefore proposing ??to shut down [Roll7]." As for Intercept Games, Bloomberg had spotted a notice filed with the Washington State Employment Security Department, which showed Take-Two intended to shut down a Seattle-based office and cut 70 employees. That description perfectly matches Intercept Games.

This whole situation is frankly bizarre since there is evidence of Roll7 and Intercept Games' closure, yet Take-Two is saying this isn't the case. Surely if Take-Two intended to keep both studios open, it would just say so, but it isn't for some reason. Although this wouldn't be the first time Take-Two's done this. 2K Marin, the studio behind BioShock 2, was shut down in 2013 after mass layoffs (per Rock Paper Shotgun), but 2K never acknowledged the closure. Zelnick even insisted that 2K Marin would be responsible for helming the BioShock series months after reports of the studio's closure (per GamesIndustry.biz). For the record, a new BioShock is in development, but at a new internal studio called Cloud Chamber, which had taken over 2K Marin's old San Francisco office according to a 2019 report by Eurogamer.

I cannot fathom what advantage there is to pretending that a studio is still open. It's bad enough that studio shutdowns are becoming distressingly common in the games industry, with Microsoft just recently closing four of its own, including?? Tango Gameworks. If the 2K Marin example is anything to go by, Take-Two may not ever formally announce the closures of Roll7 and ?Intercept Games, even if we never see a new game from either of them.

The post Take-Two denies shutting down Roll7 and Intercept Games, but won’t say if they still exist appeared first on Destructoid.

2024 continues to be an awful year for employees within the games industry, as Take-Two Interactive has joined the l?ong list of companies laying off staff.

In an April 16 filing, Take-Two laid out its plans for its cost reduction program, which it hopes will "enhance the Company’s margin profile, while still investing for growth." This plan is ex?pected to be complete by the end of 2024,? and will see its workforce reduced by five percent. That may not sound like a lot, but considering Take-Two employs 11,580 people (as of 2023), that means approximately 579 people will be losing their jobs.

Take-Two also mentions cancellin??g an unspecified number of titles, which is estimated to cost the company $120 million to $140 million (roughly £96 million to £112 million). Combined with costs related to employee severance and office space reductions, Take-Two estimates the whole plan will incur approximately $160 million to $200 million (about £128 million to 160 million) in total charges.

Take-Two had already talked about reducing costs earlier this year but, in February, CEO Strauss Zelnick had said there were "no current plans" to fire staff, a??dding, "The hardest th??ing to do is to lay off colleagues."

While this is obviously an effort to save money, it's difficult to imagine Take-Two is in any sort of dire straits financially. Take-Two is a highly valued publisher, and is also the same company that released Grand Theft Auto 5, which has made over $8.5 billion (roughly £6.8 billion) since its 2013 rel??ease. It's easily one of the most successful video games in recent memory.

Plus, Take-Two had enough money lying around to buy out Borderlands developer Gearbox just last month, and will be releasing Grand Theft Auto 6 in 2025. That game is expected to be a massive money-maker for the company given how hotly anticipated it's?? been.

Meanwhile, layoffs have run rampant through the industry throughout 2024. Major companies like Electronic Arts, Unity, Microsoft, and Sony have all announced layoffs.

The post GTA publisher Take-Two is laying off five percent of staff, a few months after saying it had ‘no current plans’ for layoffs appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a dismal time to be in video game development, as companies continue to announce layoffs. Now, Take-Two Interactive �?the parent company of Rockstar �?is looking to enact a "significant cost reduction plan," but it doesn't necessarily mean redunda?ncies.

That's according to CEO and chairman Strauss Zelnick, who told IGN recently ??that there are "no current plans" to lay staff off. The specifics of this plan are said to still being worked out, but Zelnick says there are other areas that need looking at, such as marketing, third-party expenses, supply services, etc.

He also adds that the "hardest thing to do is to lay off colleagues," though that ph?rasing sort of suggests one would do it if it was easier. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen.

I'm a cynic, what can I say?

It's difficult to talk about Take-Two without mentioning GTA 6. Last year's reveal trailer has been viewed a squillion times, making it one of the most-viewed video game teasers in existence. If the parent company does eventually decide it needs to initiate layoffs, there's no telling whether this would potentially affect the next Grand Theft Auto game.

Again, this is just a complete guess from me. While there aren't any "current" plans for layoffs, that doesn't necessa??rily mean things won't change in the future, near or ??far.

Just recently, Take-Two was also in the headlines, facing a class-action lawsuit regarding microtransactions in NBA games. Hard to find two topics that ge??t people more riled up than layoffs and microtransactions.

The post GTA parent Take-Two has ‘no current plans’ for layoffs, CEO says appeared first on Destructoid.

Take-Two Interactive has an interesting response to gamers upset with what the company does with the in-game currency they buy. In an ongoing dispute over whether money is essentially stolen when a game's servers shut down, Take-Two characterized in-game virtual currency as "?fictions created by game publishers."

Currently Take-Two is facing a class-action lawsuit in California related to microtransactions in the NBA 2K gam?es. Particularly, the lawsuit takes issue with the fact that when Take-Two takes down servers for old games, players lose access to the virtual currency (VC) that they bought.

According to Axios, the suit alleges that: “By removing Plaintiff and the Class members' VC, Defendants took and stole their personal property, or fraudulently appropriated property that had been entrusted to Defendant.�?/p>

In response to the lawsuit, Take-Two’s lawyers are targeting the claim that virtual currency is property. Game File reports that the company’s attorneys fil?ed a request to dismiss the lawsuit last week. The argument goes that  gamers might have paid to obtain the currency, but it’s not something they can actually own.

In the filing, Take-Two’s attorneys write: “VC is not plaintiff’s property. Instead, in-game VC are fictions created by game publishers, subject to the publishers�?terms of service and user agreements.”�?/p>

That said, lawsuits targeting microtransactions of all kinds seem to be popping up more frequently. In May 2023, Nintendo faced a class-action suit over the loot boxes in Mario Kart Tour. And NBA 2K has run afoul of microtransaction issues before, with Belgian ?and Dutch gambling laws in 2018.

The post Take-Two calls virtual currency ‘fictions created by game publishers’ amid microtransaction lawsuit appeared first on Destructoid.

WWE 2K24 is strutting down the entrance ramp and headed toward the squared circle. 2K Games announced this morning that the next i??teration of the wrestli??ng sim is headed to consoles and PC in early March.

The developer also showcased the theme for the 2024 version of the title. It will revolve around this year being the 40th anniversary of WrestleMania and will showcase the "Immortals" that have made an impact on the event throughout the l??ast four decades.

As highlighted in the Finish Your Story trailer, Cody Rhodes will don the game's cover when it release?s on March 8. For the Deluxe Edition, former WWE Women's Champions Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley have earned that honor.

WWE 2K24 will incorporate a bunch of new features to separate itself from previous entries. This year's Showcase mode is entitled 2K Showcase…of the Immortals and will highlight th??e biggest matches that took place at "the grand??daddy of them all" over the last 40 years.

There are four n??????????????????????????ew match types being implemented this year. These include an Ambulance Match, a Special Guest Referee Match, a Gauntlet Match, and a Casket Match. The latter of which can be spotted in today's tra??iler with The Undertaker doing the dirty work, of course.

The devs say that there will be over 200 wrestlers to choose from in 2K24. They're also promising better animations, "over 90% of facial expressions updated", and the ability to finally transition the in-game camera during live gameplay. As for the dozens of other changes and additions, 2K Games has a full list of what's included on its website.

The WWE 2K series as a whole seems to be on an incline. After the disaster that was WWE 2K20, WWE 2K22 got modest reviews. Then last year, Destructoid gave WWE 2K23 a solid 7.5. Let's hope t?he series continues the upward trend toward a championship effort.

WWE 2K24 is set to release? on PC, ??PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on March 8. The Deluxe Edition will launch a few days earlier, on March 5.

The post WWE 2K24 pins down early March release date appeared first on Destructoid.

Rockstar is no stranger to leaks, and it seems the company can't even catch a? bre?ak during the holiday season.

It has been reported that GTA 5's source code has been leaked. According to @GTAFocal, an account that follows all Grand Theft Auto-related news, the contents of the leak aren't new and originated from the massive 2022 GTA 6 leaks. However, ?until this point, the data had been shared among private groups alone.

Though some have been brazen enough to post the content on Twitter, Take-Two Interactive is taking down links leading to the leaks. This isn't the first time Rockstar has suffered a leak this year, and just a few weeks ago, we had the GTA 6 ?trailer showing up before Rockstar intend??ed to debut it.

While it might be tempting to have a peek behind the curtains to see what's going on with the GTA developers, it isn't the wisest idea to provoke a company that has shown itself to be willing to use the full might of the law to protect its IPs. The teen behind the infamous GTA 6 leak in 2022 was deemed unfit to stand trial and has since been given an indefinite hospital order.

With a confirmed 2025 release date, it won't be long before we get more information on GTA 6 from official sources. As the reveal trailer has shown us, the upcoming crime game will be taking us to the ??state of Leonida which is "home to the neon-soaked streets? of Vice City and beyond."

The post GTA 5 source code possibly leaked appeared first on Destructoid.

With the Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer announcement being made recently, all eyes are once again on Rockstar's behemoth franchise. Not that eyes were ever truly off it. GTA 5 is still doing phenomenally well, as outlined in Take-Two Interacti?ve??'s recent figures.

According to conference call notes uploaded a couple of days ago, Grand Theft Auto 5 has now sold approximately 190 million units since it launched in 2013. Compare this to November 2022's prepared remarks �?when it had sold 170 million �?and ??it's obvious the game is still selling in droves.

At this rate, it could well fly past the 200 million mark, maintaining its stance as the second highest-selling game after Minecraft (which recently hit 300 million).

Better be worth the wait

GTA 6 is still pretty elusive. Aside from the leak in 2022, we really don't know much about the hugely anticipated follow-up. Rockstar has p??romised the first official trailer in December??, so at least we have that to look forward to.

It's a tall order to be the next big thing after Grand Theft Auto 5, but after years of speculations, leaks,?? and the collective will of gamers everywhere, the world is finally ready for the next installment.

It's tempting to say that once the sixth game comes out, sales of GTA 5 may slow down significantly. However, Rockstar's not above reha?shing some of its older (and more lucrative) titles, so who knows what the studio has planned for the game. There's still some milking to be done for that p?roverbial cash cow.

The post GTA 5 is getting closer to 200 million units sold appeared first on Destructoid.

Artificial intelligence has found? its way into many industries, including gaming, and Take-Two is considering how it can leverage the ?technology.

At the Paley International Council Summit on November 7, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick discussed his views on AI and its impact on gaming. He has a mostly positive outlook, as Inverse reports, and he imagines how generative AI ca??n be used to improve NPCs.

If implemented correctly, it could give more variety to NPC dialogue. Zelnick argues that currently, scripted NPC dialogue can be quite boring, though with generative AI, "you could imagi?ne all the NPCs becoming really interesting and fun." The CEO believes that AI could be better than current solutions, though he is not so sure that it will be faster and cheap??er.

He does not mention much about Grand Theft Auto 6, which has generated quite a bit of excitement this week with the announcement of an incoming trailer. Though he does confirm th?at the next game in the franchise is in development, he doesn't reveal additional information except that more news will come from Rockstar. We should get more information in December, which is when the trailer is due to drop.

Take-Two's latest quarterly earnings report reveals that Rockstar's franchises are still going strong, with Red Dead Redemption 2 selling over 57 million and GTA 5 selling a stellar 190 million units.

The post Take-Two discusses how AI can be used to make NPCs “really interesting and fun” appeared first on Destructoid.

There's a lot of contention at the moment regarding the re-release of Red Dead Redemption. Some fans are not pleased about Rockstar charging $50 for a PS4 p??ort of a 13-year-old game, but Take-Two's CEO doesn't appear to agree with them.

Speaking to IGN, Strauss Zelnick has justified the need to charge almost full price for RDR1 on the previous-??gen system. In a statement, he said it's "what we believe is the commercially accurate? price for it."

//twitter.com/Ro?ckstarGames/status/168855297750880??6656

He was asked whether the inclusion of the Undead Nightmare DLC was the reason for the $50 price tag. Zelnick responded by?? saying it was a "great standalone game in its own right when it was originally released, so we feel like it's a great bundle for the first time, and certainly a great value for consumers." This may or may not answer IGN's question.

WWJMD (What would John Marston do)?

Rockstar announced the re-release of Red Dead Redemption on August 7. The game is scheduled to come out on PlayStation 4 and the Switch. For Nintendo users, this means they may finally play one of the most celebrated open-world titles of th??e last generation.

However, many fans feel that $50 is too high, especially as this isn't a remaster. Even more may still feel a bit disappointed that this wasn't the remaster/remake that had been rumored.

On top of that, PC gamers have once again been left behind, as Rockstar/Take-Two don't appear to have any plans to release RDR1 on the platform. There will undoubtedly be reasons for this. However, when Zenick was asked about a PC po??rt, he didn't give a s??traight answer.

It depends on ??the vision that the creative te??ams have for a title, and in the absence of having a powerful vision, for something that we would do with a title, we might bring it in its original form, we've done that, and in certain instances we might remaster or remake, so it really depends on the title and how the label feels about it, the platform, and what we think the opportunity is for consumers.

Make of that what you will. Red Dead Redemption will launch on PS4 and Nintendo Switch on Aug?ust 17.

The post Red Dead Redemption PS4 price is “commercially accurate,” Take-Two says appeared first on Destructoid.

Do you think they'll follow through?

In case you missed it, Take-Two's newest financial report had a lot of bullish claims, championed by current CEO Strauss Zelnick. In ad??dition to targeting an unprecedent?ed amount of revenue in FY2025, some conc??erns were raised over specific platforms: most notably, the Switch, and a potential shift t?o updated current-gen consoles.

Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Zelnick notes that they're putting a lot on the line when it comes to their "immersive core" games, which currently consist of WWE 2K24, NBA 2K24...and an "eagerly-anticipated new IP from one of [their] premiere studios." But what about the ??Switch? Well, that's TBD.

There is...something there, at least. LEGO 2K Drive does indeed launch today on Switch, with the dubious Star Wars Hunters coming lat??er this year following a delay. When asked about future support in FY2025, Zelnick gave a rather muted response, noting: "Yes, I think we'll continue to support it." When pressed about a potential "console refresh" (read: a boosted/souped-up theoretical Xbox Series X or PS5 "Pro"), Zelnick said that "we probably will" see it happen, and that "they [console refreshes] did not affect the business very much," referring to the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. The Zynga acquisition and faith in the mobile market are also a heavy focus for Take-Two going into the next few fiscal years.

Well, with all that info, it seems like we know where 2K stands going forward. They're taking a "wait and see" approach with Switch, they're focusing on PC, mobile, and Sony/Microsoft co??nsoles, and they won't change much strategically if there's another "half-generation bump." So mostly business as usual.

The post Take-Two boss says he “thinks” they’ll continue to support the Switch after canceling Midnight Suns on it appeared first on Destructoid.

Publisher targeting an unprecedented $8 billion in revenue

Take-Two Interactive, the parent publisher behind Rockstar Games and the Grand Theft Auto franchise, has announced that it is preparing for what it believed will be a record-shattering fiscal year 2025. The comments were made by CEO Strauss Zelnick in the company's newest financial report.

"Fiscal 2025 is a highly anticipated year for our company. For the last several years, we have been preparing our? business to release an incredibly robust pipeline of projects that we believe will take our company to even greater levels of success," said Zelnick.

"In fiscal 2025, we expect to enter this new era by launching several groundbreaking titles that we? believe will set new standards in our industry and enable us to achieve over $8 billion in net bookings and over $1 billion in adjusted unrestricted operating cash flow. We expect to sustain this momentum by delivering additional growth in our operating results in fiscal 2026 and beyond."

Considering the obscene amount of money referenced, as well as the supreme confidence delivered in the statement, one can only assume that the fiscal year 2024, (This period denotes the calendar year running from April 2024 to March 2025), will see the studio launch Grand Theft Auto VI, the latest release in a franchise that leaves almost every other gaming franchise in existen?ce kicking in the dust when in comes to both immediate and long term revenue.

When pressed as to whether this number essentially guaranteed the release window for GTA VI, Zelnick was non-commital, but it seems almost impossible for the "industry standard setting" revenue of $8 billion to be reached without some sort of major, and that's major, release. Grand Theft Auto V, a title that is now a decade old, continues to move copies, and?? currently sits at the 180 million sales mark.

The post GTA publisher Take-Two expects fiscal year 2025 to ‘set new standards’ in the industry appeared first on Destructoid.

Take-Two's label will publish the new IP, codenamed Project Bloom

Game Freak and Private Division are teaming up for a new title. Take-Two's publishing label will work with Game Freak to publish a brand-new title, currently codenamed Project Bloom.

No details are available about the collaboration yet, as it's still in early development and has no confirmed release date. Today's press release states Project Bloom is exp??ected to launch in Take-Two's fisca?l year 2026.

Game Freak is well-known for its work on the Pokemon series, as it launched both Pokemon Scarlet / Violet and Pokemon Legends: Arceus last year. Still, it's not only a Poke-studio; Game Freak's also worked on several other games outside the Pokemon franchise, including Pocket Card Jockey and Little Town Hero.

"We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to create new IP that is bold and tonally different from our prio??r work," said Game Freak director Kota Furushima. "From th?e beginning, Private Division was the publisher we wanted to work with on our new game. Their track record and global expertise give us all the confidence to create a sweeping new action-adventure game that we can’t wait to share more about in the future."

A new project for Game Freak

Private Division, meanwhile, is Take-Two's publishing label that has handled a pretty big variety of games. It published The Outer Worlds when it first launched, and is working with Intercept Games on publishing Kerbal Space Program 2. Private Division also acquired OlliOlli studio Roll7 in 2021.

"Over the past three decades, you’d be hard pressed to find a studio which has release?d more iconic hits than Game Freak," said Michael Worosz, Chief Strategy Officer at Take-Two Interactive and head of Private Division. "We’re ready to help Game Freak unleash their potential and we’re honored to be the first Western publisher to work alongside this exceptionally talented and proven team to bring a bold new IP to market."

We don't have much to go on, other than the new concept art shared in today's press release and the note that it's an action-adventure title. Still, it'll be interesting to see what Game Freak puts together over the next few years. Meanwhile, Game Freak is also still working on DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

The post Game Freak is partnering with Private Division for a ??n??ew action-adventure game appeared first on Destructoid.

The special effects shop is working on a new game set in Middle-earth

A new game set in the Lord of the Rings universe is on the way. Private Division has signed Weta Workshop to a new publishing agreement, for a new game set in ?J.R.R. Tolkien's Mi??ddle-earth.

Weta Workshop is a well-known effects and prop company that worked on Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. The company founded an interactive game division in 2014, and now is tackling The Lord of the Rings in game form.

"It's a privilege to create a new game set in Middle-earth, especially one that's so different from what fans have played previously," said Amie Wolken, head of interactive at Weta Workshop, in a statement. "As fans ourselves, we're excited for gamers to explore Middle-earth in a way they never have before, and introduce new fans to the magic of The Lord of the Rings."

Details on the new project are scarce, as it's still in early development. No release date is set yet. But Private Division says the game is expected to launch sometime during Take-Two's 2024 fiscal year. More details will arrive sometime ??in the future.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ7aLU6rHLk

Middle-earth's back on the menu, boys

Private Division is a publishing arm of Take-Two Interactive, and has been behind some notable games like OlliOlli World and The Outer Worlds. The company also acquired OlliOlli developer Roll7. It will also publish Ori developer Moon Studios' next game.

There are a few different Lord of the Rings projects in development. Whether you like to sneak around as a sneaky little Gollum on a quest for his precious, or dig into a survival-type game, there are a few Middle-earth projects to watch. We'll see what Weta brings to the table when it's ready to share more about its own interactive LOTR project.

The post Private Division and Weta Workshop sig?n deal for ?new game set in Middle-earth appeared first on Destructoid.

Plus 24 "immersive core" games

At least eight new Take-Two remasters or ports are set for release, according to a new financial report (fiscal 2022 results) from the publisher.? This is all part of a massive section of Take-Two's "pipeline," which extends all the way from this current fiscal year of 2023 to 2025.

Take-Two not only shed some?? light on its plans to bring back the past, but what it's doing in the future. Let's take a brief look?? at its set of fully confirmed games.

Here are the games Take-Two is touting as part of its announced lineup:

• The Quarry �?June 10, 2022
• Marvel's Midnight Suns �?Second half of 2022
• Kerbal Space Program 2 �?2023 on PC, consoles at a later date
• GTA -Definitive Edition mobile �?FY2023
• New Tales from the Borderlands game �?FY2023

As far as everything else goes, there will be 24 "immersive core" games, which most industry analysts would call "AAA" or thereabouts. Then there's 10 independent [indie] projects, 20 mobile games, seven "mid-core" titles (Tales from the Borderlands is cited as a direct example), and eight "new iterations of previously released titles." Take-Two c??larifies that "this includ?es ports and remastered titles: sequels would not fall into this category."

Of course, the elephant in the room is GTA Trilogy - Definitive Edition. There's a q??uestion of how many times Take-Two can fool potential remaster buyers if they aren't going to put the work in to polish a re-release. Of course, Take-Tw??o is a massive company, and any number of remasters can be handled by a wide array of studios. But as a whole, it would behoove them to put their best foot forward if they want to continue down this path and keep their reputation intact.

//www.tiktok.com/@destructoid/video/71014??145?98007344389

The post Take-Two has plans for eight more remasters or ports: I hope they turn out better than GTA Trilogy – Definitive Edition appeared first on Destructoid.

The BioShock movie gets a new hope in Netflix

Big Daddies are coming to the big screen. Netflix announced it is working with Take-Two Interactive and 2K, alongside Vertigo Entertainment, to create a film adaptation of the BioShock franchise.

The announcement on Twitter shows the cover art of the original BioShock, referencing the infamous "would you kindly" line as well. According to The Hollywood Reporter, no filmmaker or writer is on ??board right now. The deal itself has reportedly been in the works for almost a year.

//twitter.com/NetflixGeeked/s?tatus/1493631216788066310

A BioShock movie was already in the works years ago, though the project never came to fruition. Now, it seems like the time is right for the franchise to re-emerge and get its silver screen adaptat??ion.

Given the cover art Netflix is leading with, an adaptation of the first game seems pretty likely. A live-action version of Jack's adventure to the depths of Rapture, and the downfall of the underwater city, seems just right f??or an action-thriller.

The BioShock series itself has been fairly quiet over the last few years. A new BioShock game is in development at Cloud Chamber, though we don't know many details yet. The last entry in the series was the second episode of BioShock Infinite's DLC, Burial at Sea, in 2014.

Video game adaptations to the big screen have become increasingly popular over the years since BioShock first launched. The Witcher took Netflix by storm, and an Uncharted movie is set to debut soon. Whether the BioShock project turns out well or not, I would like to see how?? terrifying a Big Dadd??y can be on film.

The post BioShock film ??adaptation is in the works at Netflix appeared first on Destructoid.

Take-Two's publishing label picks up the dev behind upcoming OlliOlli World

Roll7 is now under a new banner. Private Division announced today that it has acquired Roll7, the makers of the upcoming skateboarding game OlliOlli World.

Private Division was already set as OlliOlli World's publisher, and this acquisition will keep the studio and publishing label together through its future unannounced projects. Roll7 is currently aiming to launch OlliOlli World this winter, during Take-Two's fiscal quarter e??nding on March 31, 2022.

"Private Division has been an incredible publishing partner for OlliOlli World, and we’re elated to continue to grow as a studio as part of the label," said Roll7 co-CEO Simon Bennett in a press release. "Private Division has empowered our amazing team to raise the bar on our creativity and scope for OlliOlli World. Joining the label puts us in a great position to continue to grow and to set? our sights on achieving our ambition to become a pre-eminent global videogames dev??eloper."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2g1rlb9XvA

Private Division has signed on a number of talented indie development teams for games in the future, including Ori developer Moon Studios and Armello developer League of Geeks.

OlliOlli World has made a very good impression in the hands-on time we've had with it. When I played it earlier this year, I was really impressed by how Roll7 shook up the formula and overhauled its visual style while still retaining that excellent flow-state skateboarding gameplay from the original games. With Private Division b??acking its future, unannounced projects, looks like Roll7 will keep on rolling?.

The post Private Division acquires OlliOll??i developer Roll7 appeared first on Destructoid.