Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive shared a number of risks the company faces including “negative review campaigns,” which it claims can lead to significant “harm” including the loss of players and revenues.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
In Take-Two Interactive’s Form 10-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company listed a number of risks it faces including the competitive nature of the video game industry, the health of the console market, the development and growth of AI technologies, data breaches, worker unionization, maintaining license agreements with Microsoft and Sony, the growth of the mobile market, monetizing free-to-play games, and more.
The company also lists “negative reviews” as a significant risk to its business.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
Take-Two Interactive explains, “If the ratings of any of our games decline or if we receive significant negative reviews that result in a decrease in our ratings, our games could be more difficult for players to find or recommend.”
“In addition, we may be subject to negative review campaigns or defamation campaigns intended to harm our ratings. Any such decline may lead to loss of players and revenues, additional advertising and marketing costs, and reputation harm,” it adds.
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
Take-Two Interactive is also betting big on Grand Theft Auto VI being a massive success. The Form 10-K states, “We are dependent on the future success of our Grand Theft Auto products, and we must continue to publish ‘hit’ titles or sequels to such ‘hit’ titles in order to compete successfully in our industry.”
It went on to add, “Grand Theft Auto products contributed 14.7% of our net revenue for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024.”
The game’s developer Rockstar Games claims it will be “the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet” as it takes place in the state of Leonida, the home of Vice City.
However, while Rockstar Games is boasting about the game being the most immersive and biggest evolution of Grand Theft Auto, former Rockstar Games developer Obbe Vermiej, who last worked for the company in 2009, tempered expectations in a recent interview with SanInPlay.
When asked about what his expectations are, Vermiej stated, “It looks like they’ve just basically taken it even further, right? The scene that blows me away is the one on the beach where everybody seems to be doing something else. Like every character has got his own animation. I think that looks pretty amazing.”
However, he then added, “But I don’t think it is going to be wildly different from GTA V. I think maybe people might be a little disappointed on a Thursday, but it’s still going to be the best game out there.”
He continued, “And I love the vibe. I love the Miami vibe. I think that also Miami theme where people just do stupid stuff and the alligators and sitting on cars and everything. I think that suits GTA very well. So, yeah, it’s going to be a good game, for sure.”
A screenshot from Grand Theft Auto VI (2025), Rockstar Games
Grand Theft Auto VI arrives sometime in the Fall of 2025.
What do you make of Take-Two Interactive recognizing negative reviews are a significant risk to its business and do you think it could hurt Grand Theft Auto VI?
NEXT: After Purchasing Gearbox, Take-Two Interactive Reportedly Shuts Down Two Developers
