Why Take-Two will still have a massive year without GTA 6

With the announcement that Rockstar has delayed Grand Theft Auto VI to May 26, 2026, it might seem like the publisher and parent company, Take-Two, is in dire straits without its cash cow. That may have been true in a different calendar year, but Take-Two has been working on several games, and the timing has worked out in the company’s favor.

Take-Two is still set up to have a massive year, thanks to a combination of annual sports titles and long-awaited sequels. While it’s likely not enough to make up for the potential sales of GTA VI (which got its second trailer shortly after the delay), it’s more than enough for Take-Two to wait until that game is ready for prime time.

Civilization VII is already out

Sid Meier’s strategy franchise had a rocky start, but that’s usually true

Sid Meier’s Civilization VII has already been released for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC. While it’s gotten off to a rough start, fans and critics have found it to be a step down from previous entries. With mixed reviews on Steam, it might seem like a miss, but it has seemingly sold well, with Take-Two claiming that it has the best preorder numbers for the franchise via Game World Observer.

It’s also important to note that Civilization as a series has a tendency to get better with DLC, which changes the core mechanics of the game. As you can see from this Steam Community discussion, players feel strongly that the DLC for the previous game made massive improvements. While it might take some time before that DLC comes out, the strategy game fans are still going to be all over Civilization VII, even if they are complaining about it.

Borderlands 4 is coming in September

Billions of guns and millions of copies

Borderlands 4 is set for a September 12 release on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, and it has the potential to sell a ton of copies for Take-Two. While Borderlands 3 was a bit maligned at launch, achieving an 81 on Open Critic, a solid score. However, critics and fans hated the writing and humor in the game, ultimately leaving a bad taste in people’s mouths. While Gearbox has made statements promising that Borderlands 4 will have better writing and less referential humor, I don’t think it has much to worry about regarding sales.

Take-Two said that as of earlier this year, Borderlands 3 has sold 22 million copies, a pretty substantial number by most measurements. Combine that with a six-year wait since the last mainline game and the promises of better writing, and it seems like Borderlands 4 has a great shot at making a big splash when it releases on September 12 after moving the release date up two weeks.

Mafia: The Old Country could be huge

A potential breakout

Mafia: The Old Country is less of a slam dunk when it comes to sales than the rest of Take-Two’s 2025 releases, but it does have the chance to be a breakout entry for the series. Mentioned in the same sales data as the Borderlands 4 sales, the series has only sold over five million total. Part of the issue is that Hangar 13 hasn’t made a critically well-received entry, with the best Metacritic score for the series being the remake of the first game, Mafia: Definitive Edition, with a 78.

However, Mafia: The Old Country is a prequel, taking away some of the baggage of previous entries, and it has been described as a more linear and narrative-focused experience. While the quality of Mafia: The Old Country won’t be clear until it releases, it has the potential to get some added attention without another crime-focused game coming from Take-Two this year. Mafia: The Old Country is set for Summer 2025, on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Sports titles will fill out the rest of the year

PGA Tour, WWE, and NBA round out the lineup.

While sports games aren’t much of a focus for many hardcore gamers, they are incredibly popular, especially with casual fans or players who only play sports titles: PGA Tour 2K25, WWE 2K25, and NBA 2K26, all of which are typically annual franchises.

While Take-Two may have high expectations for these games, as they typically perform well, at least three more games contribute to a solid 2025 for Take-Two. Are these games going to satisfy people craving a Grand Theft Auto game? No, of course not. But, they will make for a strong year for Take-Two, ahead of what could be a massive year in 2026.

Take-Two will sell plenty of video games ahead of raking in cash from GTA VI

In addition to the massive and exceptional games that will be launched in 2025, which you can play instead of Grand Theft Auto VI, Take-Two has several big games set to release this year. Not only do gamers have enough to at least make the wait for GTA VI a little easier, but Take-Two won’t have to worry about unhappy investors because of that delay. Take-Two has at least six games releasing in 2026, and there is always time to announce more.

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