"Take-Two CEO Optimistic About Nintendo Switch 2"

We're less than a month away from the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and amid all the turmoil around pricing, tariffs, game key cards, and what-have-you, one third-party publisher says it's feeling pretty good about the console: Take-Two Interactive.

In a Q&A with investors today following the company's full year earnings, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed "great optimism" for Nintendo's new platform. He highlighted that Nintendo's support for third-party publishers this time around has been more robust than in the past:

"We're launching four titles with Nintendo Switch 2, and that's I think a bigger array of releases than we've ever offered before with a new Nintendo platform. Historically, being a third party in the Nintendo business has been a bit challenging. I think Nintendo has been very forthcoming in addressing that. And we're stepping up too, because we have great optimism for the platform. In terms of what we would bring to any platform, we address it on a case-by-case basis, we obviously want to be where the consumers are. But we would not necessarily bring every title to every platform. There are also great catalog opportunities as well."

Specifically, Take-Two is bringing Civilization 7 (launching on June 5), the NBA 2K and WWE 2K series (though it's unclear which specific games and their release dates), and Borderlands 4 (set for September 12). These titles aren't surprising, as Take-Two has already been publishing these franchises on the original Nintendo Switch. However, Zelnick's comments suggest the possibility of future releases, particularly from Take-Two's extensive back catalog. While GTA 6 might not make the cut, there's potential for classics like GTA V to eventually find their way to the Switch 2.

We had the opportunity to speak directly with Zelnick ahead of the investor call about the company's performance this quarter. This included a discussion on GTA 6's development timeline and Zelnick's perspective on the game's recent delay to next year.