Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer Release Leak Hits Take-Take Shares

Another online leak marred the highly anticipated release of Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto VI videogame trailer.

Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) - shares slumped lower Tuesday after the videogame maker arranged the early release of a trailer for its highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI title.

The new release, which comes nearly a decade after the previous title in the popular videogame franchise, will be available in 2025, Take-Two said, and will mark the 25th anniversary of its collaboration with Rockstar Games, the division that created the original title.

The new Grand Theft Auto trailer, however, had been scheduled for debut later this morning. Indications from Rockstar suggested portions of the trailer were leaked online, compelling the company to bring forward its release time.

Take-Two shares were marked 3.2% lower in premarket trading to indicate an opening bell price of $152.60 each, a move that would still leave the stock more than 50% higher for the year.

The Grand Theft Auto VI trailer was last seen to have around 9.9 million views on Google-owned YouTube and could provide a compelling boost to both the gamemaker's current offerings and the 2025 release.

"The upcoming release of the new Grand Theft Auto game is expected to generate substantial enthusiasm, acting as a key driver for current Rockstar Games titles and live services, including 'Grand Theft Auto 5', 'Grand Theft Auto Online', and the 'Red Dead Redemption' franchise,'" said Benchmark analyst Mike Hickey.

The anticipated release of 'Grand Theft Auto Next' is likely to boost TTWO's growth significantly in fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

Technical Analysis
TTWO is trading near the top of its 52-week range and above its 200-day simple moving average. Investors have been pushing the share price higher, and the stock still appears to have upward momentum. This is a positive sign for the stock's future value.