Take-Two CEO Praises Mafia: The Old Country as a ‘Wonderful Premium Title’, Confirms Judas for 2026

Take-Two Interactive has reported record-breaking results for the first fiscal quarter of 2026, with total net bookings hitting $1.42 billion, marking a 17% increase over last year’s $1.22 billion in the same period. Net bookings from recurrent consumer spending. which includes virtual currency, add-on content, in-game purchases, and in-game advertising also rose 17%, now representing 83% of the company’s total net bookings. Key revenue drivers included NBA 2K25, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, Toon Blast, Match Factory!, Color Block Jam, Empires & Puzzles, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, Words With Friends, and Toy Blast.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz ahead of the earnings report, CEO Strauss Zelnick expressed optimism about Take-Two’s upcoming lineup, which he described as “probably our most robust release schedule ever.” Among the games mentioned was Judas, the highly anticipated new project from BioShock creator Ken Levine, which Zelnick confirmed is set to launch within the next 12 months.

“We have a number of releases coming in the next 12 months it’s probably our most robust release schedule ever,” Zelnick said. “Obviously, Mafia: The Old Country is available on Steam and console. We have NBA 2K26 coming, Borderlands 4, which I’m really excited about, and WWE 2K Mobile for Netflix. We’ve got WWE 2K26, then of course, GTA 6. We have CSR 3 coming from Zynga, Judas coming from Ghost Story Games, and Project Ethos coming from 2K.”

The inclusion of Judas in that list effectively confirms its release window, ending speculation about when Ken Levine’s narrative-driven game might arrive. Levine’s “narrative LEGOs” concept has been in development for more than a decade, with early outlines discussed at GDC 2014 and revisited in late 2015. The game was officially announced at The Game Awards 2022 and showcased again in 2024. Just last month, Levine publicly thanked Take-Two for not pushing Ghost Story Games to include live service elements, keeping Judas a focused, premium single-player experience.

While Judas now has a clearer timeline, the same cannot be said for the next BioShock title, which is reportedly facing development issues. In the meantime, Take-Two is leaning heavily on its diverse 2026 lineup.

Regarding Mafia: The Old Country, Zelnick expressed strong confidence in its market potential, stating:

“I feel great about it. It’s a wonderful premium title, it’s priced right, and it’s really beautiful.”

With GTA 6 on the horizon, Borderlands 4, NBA 2K26, Mafia: The Old Country, and Judas all slated for the next year, Take-Two is positioning itself for one of the most significant release cycles in its history.

Do you think Judas will live up to Ken Levine’s BioShock legacy, or will Mafia steal the spotlight in Take-Two’s 2026 lineup?