New York, Feb 14, 2026, 18:56 ET — Market closed
- Take-Two (TTWO) last closed up 1.7% at $193.67, snapping a two-day skid
- U.S. stocks are off Monday for Presidents Day, pushing the next session to Feb. 17
- Traders are weighing AI-disruption chatter against Take-Two’s GTA VI-led outlook
Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO.O) shares closed Friday up 1.7% at $193.67, ending the week on a steadier note as U.S. markets head into a long holiday break. (Take-Two Interactive)
The stock has been moving with the wider “AI scare” trade that has pushed investors in and out of tech and other growth names. “The broader narrative within the market is what industries can increase productivity from AI investments,” said Jack Herr, a primary investment analyst at GuideStone Funds. (Reuters)
The timing matters because trading pauses again on Monday. NYSE markets will be closed for Washington’s Birthday, setting up the next regular session for Tuesday, Feb. 17. (New York Stock Exchange)
Take-Two’s week also had its own jolt. The shares fell 6.6% on Thursday to $190.36 as the broader market slid, and about 5 million shares traded — more than double the 50-day average — according to MarketWatch data. Take-Two was about 28% below its 52-week high of $264.79 set on Oct. 15. (MarketWatch)
Company fundamentals, not just macro noise, are in the mix. Take-Two earlier this month raised its fiscal 2026 net bookings outlook to $6.65 billion-$6.7 billion after third-quarter net bookings came in at $1.76 billion, and CEO Strauss Zelnick said: “Our outstanding third quarter results reflect outperformance from all of our labels.” Net bookings is Take-Two’s measure of products and services sold in the period, including items like in-game spending and licensing. (Take-Two Interactive)
AI has been the other running theme. In late January, videogame stocks slid after Google rolled out an AI model dubbed “Project Genie” that can create interactive digital worlds from prompts; Take-Two fell 10% that day, while Roblox dropped more than 12% and Unity slid 21%, Reuters reported. Most big games are built in a “game engine” — software that handles things like physics and lighting — and the fear is that AI tools could change that workflow fast. (Reuters)
But the clear downside scenario for Take-Two remains the calendar. The company has already pushed “Grand Theft Auto VI” back to Nov. 19, 2026 from May 26, and the shares fell more than 7% in extended trading when that delay was announced. “Taking the right amount of time to develop and perfect the game is important,” D.A. Davidson & Co analyst Wyatt Swanson said. (Reuters)
On its Feb. 3 earnings call, Take-Two executives tried to brush off the idea that world-building AI is anywhere close to replacing game engines, calling the tech an early iteration and “not even in the same ballpark.” “AI can’t simply prompt its way to the next Grand Theft Auto,” said Joost van Dreunen, a games professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business. For investors, the next clean catalyst remains Rockstar’s planned Nov. 19 launch — and early clues on how the game will be updated after release to keep players engaged and spending online. (Reuters)
