Take-Two Interactive CEO is “Reasonably Confident” The Company Won’t be Affected by US Tariffs

by

During a recent earnings conference (courtesy of IGN), Take-Two Interactive‘s CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed confidence that the company would not be impacted by US tariffs on imported goods, due to the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs being issued and then rescinded. However, he confirmed that the financial outlook for Take-Two Interactive has been set for the upcoming fiscal year.

Additionally, he pointed out that even with tariffs in place, Take-Two already enjoys a strong customer base across all platforms except the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 (expected launch on June 5). Consequently, the company is unlikely to experience any impact from changes in tariffs, as per Zelnick’s assessment.

When asked about tariffs, Zelnick stated, “For the remaining ten months of this fiscal year, it’s challenging to predict where tariffs might end up due to the volatility so far. However, we are fairly certain our guidance won’t be significantly impacted unless tariffs take an unexpected turn. Given that we already have a substantial user base on all our target platforms except for the Nintendo Switch 2 (which is yet to launch), we believe we have enough understanding to withstand any potential changes.

The company has made clear in its financial report that a variety of games are upcoming on multiple platforms. For instance, Borderlands 4 is set for release on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, while Mafia: The Old Country will be available on PC and current gaming consoles. Additionally, there are games scheduled for launch without confirmed platforms, such as NBA 2K26 and WWE 2K26. Given these upcoming releases, it’s understandable that Zelnick feels less worried about tariffs impacting the publisher.

As the anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 draws near, Zelnick expressed a sense of high anticipation regarding Take-Two’s partnership with Nintendo. In the same financial conference call, he highlighted the effective support Nintendo has been providing to third-party game publishers, aiming to create a robust collection of games for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.

Zelnick stated that we will release four games on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, which he believes is a broader selection than we’ve ever provided before for a new Nintendo system. Historically, working with Nintendo as a third-party developer has been difficult, but Zelnick thinks Nintendo has made significant strides in addressing these issues. In response, we are increasing our efforts because we are very optimistic about the potential of this platform.

As a passionate gamer, I can’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment when I recall that the release date for Grand Theft Auto 6 has been moved from Fall 2025 to May 26, 2026. But in the grand scheme of things, I understand and appreciate the decision made by Zelnick. It’s all about giving Rockstar Games the extra time they need to meticulously craft this game, ensuring that it exceeds our expectations when we finally get our hands on it.

He expressed his satisfaction with where we stand financially in Fiscal Year 26, and acknowledged that delays can be frustrating. However, he emphasized the importance of backing our teams as they strive for excellence and pursue perfection.

Read More

2025-05-16 18:11