Fans of one of the most well-known video game franchises of all time may be happy to learn that CNBC host Jim Cramer is bullish on the publicly traded company behind it.
Cramer, on "Mad Money" this week, highlighted that the takeout offer for Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) leaves only one pure-play U.S. video game company: Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ:TTWO).
"This was an industry with three major players, but now, with Activision gone and EA going private, Take-Two's now the only major publicly-traded American video game company that's a pure play," Cramer said.
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Electronic Arts is being taken private at a valuation of $55 billion with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners acquiring the company.
The move comes several years after Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) acquired Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. That deal was completed in October 2023 after a lengthy regulatory review.
Without Activision Blizzard and EA public, Take-Two will be the remaining U.S. pure play video game company. Cramer thinks being the lone company left could lead to a premium valuation.
"I think this is huge,” Cramer added. “Not only were some very sophisticated investors willing to pay a premium for EA, but Take-Two has real scarcity value now."
Cramer said that two of the largest video game companies are buried in larger tech companies, with the Xbox unit and Playstation units making up a small piece of the overall pie for Microsoft and Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY) respectively.
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‘GTA 6’ Coming
Cramer highlighted the upcoming release of "GTA 6" in May 2026 as another reason to be bullish on Take-Two.
Previously delayed from a fall 2025 release date, the game is one of the most anticipated titles in decades. The last game in the franchise was "GTA V," released in 2013, which has sold over 200 million copies.
Cramer expects "GTA 6" to be a hit when it is released, but cautioned that the stock could take a hit if there is another delay.
"Just keep in mind, if you're taking the plunge into Take-Two here, you have to be able to stomach any delays to ‘GTA VI.' In fact, you should expect delays – video games aren't like movies, which come out on a regular schedule."
Prediction market Kalshi has several markets open for the upcoming video game. That includes whether the game will win Game of the Year in 2026, if it will be released on time, what the price of the game will be, and which songs will be included in the game.
The odds of the game being released before June 2026 currently stand at 68%.
Cramer highlighted that Take-Two recently raised its full-year forecast for net bookings thanks to anticipated demand for the upcoming "Grand Theft Auto" game. The company also stated that new player accounts for GTA Online increased by 50% year-over-year in the recent quarter.
Outside of "Grand Theft Auto," Cramer also highlighted the company's other franchises, like the NBA 2K franchise. "NBA 2K25" has sold over 11.5 million units and daily active users were up 30% year-over-year in the recent quarter.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called the company's future lineup "the most ambitious pipeline in our company's history" after first-quarter results.
"We have exceptional confidence in our multi-year outlook and our ability to deliver meaningful shareholder returns," Zelnick said.
Take Two Stock Soars In 2025
Take-Two stock trades at $259.88 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $151.32 to $261.22. Take-Two stock is up 42% year-to-date in 2025.
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