Take-Two Interactive has shared updated insights into its approach to subscription services, challenging the somewhat popular perception that its support for platforms like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus is limited. And though the company may not agree with what constitutes “limited,” it indicated that not too many of its games are likely to join subscription services in the foreseeable future, relative to the overall size of Take-Two‘s ever-growing content library.
The impact of Xbox Game Pass and other subscription services on the industry has been a hotly debated topic since their emergence in the 2010s. Ditto for their overall business viability. While many smaller companies readily embraced the opportunity to add their titles to such third-party catalogs, larger publishers have often remained cautious or pursued their own subscription models. Since it started offering games to GTA+ members, Take-Two Interactive falls into both camps.
Take-Two Isn’t Against Subscription Services—If the Bottom Line Makes Sense
However, the GTA 6 publisher would not necessarily agree with the “reluctant” categorization, with Take-Two Interactive President Karl Slatoff suggesting as much during an early August 2025 call with analysts. As first spotted by GameSpot, the executive argued that the group remains willing to embrace subscription platforms, even if sporadically. “We do put our titles occasionally into some of the subscription services,” Slatoff said, while noting that the bottom line still needs to make sense for any such move to happen. “We wouldn’t do it unless it was a good economic deal.”
One such “good economic deal” materialized just recently, with Grand Theft Auto 5 joining Xbox Game Pass for the fourth time in six years back in April 2025. Slatoff noted that Take-Two isn’t the only one that approaches subscription partnerships with caution, positing that neither Sony nor Microsoft would be paying to fill their catalogs with third-party titles if doing so didn’t make sense on their end.
Take-Two’s Stance on Day-One Launches Hasn’t Changed
The comments align with Take-Two’s longstanding unwillingness to release its games on subscription services at launch. As far back as the early 2020s, when analysts began consistently pressing the company on the issue, Take-Two maintained that day-one releases on platforms like Xbox Game Pass do not make sense from its perspective.
We do put our titles occasionally into some of the subscription services… we wouldn’t do it unless it was a good economic deal.
NBA 2K Games Were on PS Plus and Doing Great—But Not Because of PS Plus
Speaking on the positive impact of subscription services during the August 2025 call, Slatoff acknowledged that such platforms “obviously” drive engagement, which in turn generates income. He made the remark in response to a question about the performance of recent NBA 2K titles on PlayStation Plus. Although Take-Two most recently reported what MoffettNathanson analyst Clay Griffin described as “exceptional growth” in the NBA 2K segment during the call, when pressed for details, Slatoff clarified that PS Plus played no “meaningful” part in that achievement.
Source: T2 / The Motley Fool
- Date Founded
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September 30, 1993
- Headquarters
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New York, New York, United States
