Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Strong Results for Fiscal Year 2021

GAAP Net revenue grew 9% to $3.373 billion

GAAP Net income increased 46% to $588.9 million or $5.09 per diluted share

GAAP Net cash provided by operating activities was $912.3 million

Adjusted Unrestricted Operating Cash Flow (Non-GAAP) was $920.3 million

Net Bookings grew 19% to $3.553 billion

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–$ttwo–Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO) today reported strong results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2021, ended March 31, 2021, and provided its initial outlook for its fiscal year 2022, ending March 31, 2022 and fiscal first quarter 2022, ending June 30, 2021.

Fiscal Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights

GAAP net revenue grew 10% to $839.4 million, as compared to $760.5 million in last year’s fiscal fourth quarter. Recurrent consumer spending (which is generated from ongoing consumer engagement and includes virtual currency, add-on content and in-game purchases) increased 38% and accounted for 67% of total GAAP net revenue. The largest contributors to GAAP net revenue in fiscal fourth quarter 2021 were NBA® 2K21 and NBA 2K20, Grand Theft Auto® Online and Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, Social Point’s mobile games, Sid Meier’s Civilization® VI, Borderlands 3, and NBA Online.

Digitally-delivered GAAP net revenue grew 19% to $753.3 million, as compared to $634.7 million in last year’s fiscal fourth quarter, and accounted for 90% of total GAAP net revenue. The largest contributors to digitally-delivered GAAP net revenue in fiscal fourth quarter 2021 were NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K20, Grand Theft Auto Online and Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, Social Point’s mobile games, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Borderlands 3, and NBA Online.

GAAP net income grew 78% to $218.8 million, or $1.88 per diluted share, as compared to $122.7 million, or $1.07 per diluted share, for the year-ago period. GAAP net income included the reversal of expense of approximately $69.5 million related to forfeitures of previously granted stock awards.

The following data, together with a management reporting tax rate of 16%, are used internally by the Company’s management and Board of Directors to adjust the Company’s GAAP financial results in order to facilitate comparison of its operating performance between periods and to better understand its core business and future outlook:

Three Months Ended March 31, 2021

Financial Data

 

$ in thousands

Statement

of

operations

Change in

deferred net

revenue

and related

cost of

goods sold

Stock-based

compensation

Impact of

business

reorganization

Business

acquisition

Amortization

& impairment

of acquired

intangible

assets

Gain on

long-term

investments,

net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net revenue

$839,431

(54,899)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of goods sold

279,647

(10,792)

52,821

 

 

(6,465)

 

 

Gross profit

559,784

(44,107)

(52,821)

 

 

6,465

 

 

Total operating expenses

303,967

 

(23,459)

134

(1,378)

(3,506)

 

Income from operations

255,817

(44,107)

(29,362)

(134)

1,378

9,971

 

Interest and other, net

(3,226)

2,425

 

 

499

 

 

Gain on long-term investments, net

1,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1,000)

 

Income before income taxes

253,591

(41,682)

(29,362)

 

(134)

 

1,877

 

9,971

 

(1,000)

In order to calculate net income per diluted share for management reporting purposes, the Company uses its fully diluted share count of 116.3 million.

Fiscal Fourth Quarter Operational Metric – Net Bookings

Net Bookings is defined as the net amount of products and services sold digitally or sold-in physically during the period, and includes licensing fees, merchandise, in-game advertising, strategy guides and publisher incentives.

Total Net Bookings grew 8% to $784.5 million, as compared to $729.4 million during last year’s fiscal fourth quarter. Net Bookings from recurrent consumer spending grew 17% year-over-year and accounted for 67% of total Net Bookings. The largest contributors to Net Bookings were NBA 2K21, Grand Theft Auto Online and Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, Social Point’s mobile games, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Borderlands 3, Two Dots, NBA Online, and WWE SuperCard.

Catalog accounted for $514.7 million of Net Bookings led by Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and Sid Meier’s Civilization.

Digitally-delivered Net Bookings grew 8% to $723.7 million, as compared to $672.1 million in last year’s fiscal fourth quarter, and accounted for 92% of total Net Bookings. The largest contributors to digitally-delivered Net Bookings in fiscal fourth quarter 2021 were NBA 2K21, Grand Theft Auto Online and Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Social Point’s mobile games, Borderlands 3, and NBA Online.

Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Highlights

GAAP net revenue grew 9% to $3.373 billion, as compared to $3.089 billion in fiscal year 2020. Recurrent consumer spending increased 50% and accounted for 62% of total GAAP net revenue. The largest contributors to GAAP net revenue in fiscal year 2021 were NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K20, Grand Theft Auto Online and Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, Borderlands 3, Social Point’s mobile games, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, and PGA TOUR 2K21.

Digitally-delivered GAAP net revenue grew 23% to $2.919 billion, as compared to $2.379 billion in fiscal year 2020, and accounted for 87% of total GAAP net revenue. The largest contributors to digitally-delivered GAAP net revenue in fiscal year 2021 were NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K20, Grand Theft Auto Online and Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, Borderlands 3, Social Point’s mobile games, and Sid Meier’s Civilization VI.

GAAP net income increased 46% to $588.9 million, or $5.09 per diluted share, as compared to $404.5 million, or $3.54 per diluted share, in fiscal year 2020. GAAP net income included the reversal of expense of approximately $69.8 million related to forfeitures of previously granted stock awards and a gain of approximately $40.6 million due to the sale of one of our long-term investments.

GAAP net cash provided by operating activities was $912.3 million, as compared to $685.7 million in fiscal year 2020. Adjusted Unrestricted Operating Cash Flow (Non-GAAP), which is defined as GAAP net cash from operating activities, adjusted for changes in restricted cash, was $920.3 million, as compared to $615.4 million last year (please see the section below titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measure” for additional information). As of March 31, 2021, the Company had cash and short-term investments of $2.732 billion.

The following data, together with a management reporting tax rate of 16%, are used internally by the Company’s management and Board of Directors to adjust the Company’s GAAP financial results in order to facilitate comparison of its operating performance between periods and to better understand its core business and future outlook:

 

 

Twelve Months Ended March 31, 2021

Financial Data

 

$ in thousands

Statement

of

operations

Change in

deferred net

revenue

and related

cost of

goods sold

Stock-based

compensation

Business

acquisition

Impact of

business

reorganization

Amortization

& impairment

of acquired

intangible

assets

Gain on

long-term

investments,

net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net revenue

$3,372,772

179,825

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of goods sold

1,535,085

11,283

(8,707)

 

 

(20,587)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross profit

1,837,687

168,542

8,707

 

 

20,587

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

1,208,303

 

(101,765)

(7,317)

272

(11,037)

 

Income from operations

629,384

168,542

110,472

7,317

(272)

31,624

 

Interest and other, net

8,796

(2,874)

 

 

499

 

 

 

 

 

Gain on long-term investments, net

39,636

 

 

 

 

 

 

(39,636)

Income before income taxes

677,816

165,668

110,472

 

7,816

 

(272)

 

31,624

 

(39,636)

In order to calculate net income per diluted share for management reporting purposes, the Company uses its fully diluted share count of 115.7 million.

Fiscal Year 2021 Operational Metric – Net Bookings

Total Net Bookings grew 19% to $3.553 billion, as compared to $2.990 billion in fiscal year 2020. Net Bookings from recurrent consumer spending grew 48% and accounted for 63% of total Net Bookings. The largest contributors to Net Bookings were NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K20, Grand Theft Auto Online and Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, Borderlands 3, Social Point’s mobile games, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, PGA TOUR 2K21, and The Outer Worlds.

Digitally-delivered Net Bookings grew 27% to $3.095 billion, as compared to $2.440 billion in fiscal year 2020, and accounted for 87% of total Net Bookings. The largest contributors to digitally-delivered Net Bookings in fiscal year 2021 were NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K20, Grand Theft Auto Online and Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, Borderlands 3, Social Point’s mobile games, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, and WWE SuperCard.

Management Comments

“Our strong fourth quarter results concluded an exceptional year for our organization,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. “We delivered record operating results, including Net Bookings of approximately $3.6 billion and Adjusted Unrestricted Operating Cash Flow of $920 million. Throughout the year, we enhanced our organization for the long term by broadening our portfolio of offerings, capitalizing on diverse business models, enhancing our infrastructure, and most importantly, investing in our creative talent.”

“In Fiscal 2022, we plan to deliver an exciting array of offerings, including four immersive core releases, of which two will be from new franchises. In addition, we expect Fiscal 2022 to be our second consecutive year of Net Bookings in excess of $3 billion. With the strongest pipeline in our Company’s history, including many new releases planned for Fiscal 2023 and Fiscal 2024, we will be making significant investments this year to enhance our enterprise in key areas such as creative talent, IT, and other infrastructure. As we continue to grow our business, we believe that we will achieve sequential growth in Fiscal 2023 and establish new record levels of operating results over the next few years.”

Business and Product Highlights

Since January 1, 2021:

Take-Two:

  • Take-Two maintained its commitment to giving back to its communities. During fiscal year 2021, across our Company and labels, we donated nearly $20 million to provide support to approximately 200 organizations throughout the world, and we will continue these efforts. Our donations have supported charities dedicated to COVID-19 relief efforts, as well as initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion within our industry and to help eradicate racial injustice within our communities.

Rockstar Games:

  • Released new free content updates for Grand Theft Auto Online, including casino story missions, new stunt races, and more. Additionally, many new exotic vehicles were introduced, including the BF Weevil car, the Maibatsu Manchez Scout motorcycle, the Vapid Slamtruck, the Vetir military truck, the Mammoth Squaddie truck, the Dinka Verus Off-Road vehicle, and the Nagasaki Weaponized Dinghy.
  • Released new free content updates for Red Dead Online including:
  • Debuted the first “A New Source of Employment” missions, available for solo players and delivered via telegram.
    • Introduced the Outlaw Pass No. 5 and its new rewards, which include clothing, emotes, camp items such as flags and a canine companion, Moonshine Shack décor, horse manes and mustaches, and photo studio backdrops. Additionally, new Wheeler, Rawson & Co. Club Rank Rewards were introduced for all players to unlock, including clothing, weapon modifications, filters for the advanced camera, and a new emote.
  • Throughout the fiscal year, Rockstar Games will continue to support both Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online with more content updates to keep new and returning players excited and engaged.

2K:

  • Continued to expand the breadth of NBA 2K offerings with the launch of the NBA 2K21 Arcade Edition on Apple Arcade, delivering an all-new basketball simulation game experience to Apple’s video game subscription service, available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac devices.
  • Acquired HookBang, LLC’s Austin-based video game division, which will become part of Visual Concepts, the distinguished, wholly-owned studio and developer of the iconic NBA 2K video game franchise. The acquired team, under the new name of Visual Concepts Austin, will expand its efforts on the NBA 2K franchise, including platform development and live services support.
  • PGA TOUR 2K21 released the Clubhouse Pass Season 2 and launched its newest game mode, Divot Derby, which features a “battle golf” style competition where players can compete with up to 20 other players.
  • To drive continued momentum in golf, 2K entered into an exclusive, long term partnership with Tiger Woods, one of the most iconic and celebrated figures in golf history. Woods’ partnership with 2K includes rights for his name and likeness to appear exclusively in the PGA TOUR 2K franchise, as well as any other golf games published by 2K during the partnership term. Woods will play an active role in the video game landscape as an Executive Director and consultant with PGA TOUR 2K, while 2K will also partner with Woods’ TGR Foundation, which provides award-winning STEM curricula and college-access programs to offer underserved students the tools needed to thrive in school and beyond.
  • Acquired privately-held HB Studios Multimedia Ltd., developers of the critically acclaimed and commercially successful PGA TOUR 2K21, as well as The Golf Club franchise.
  • During the WrestleMania 37 broadcast on April 10, 2021, 2K and Visual Concepts revealed the first teaser video for WWE 2K22, which will launch later this calendar year. The teaser video stars Rey Mysterio, a high-flying lucha libre legend and one of the most exciting and decorated Superstars in WWE history.
  • WWE 2K Battlegrounds released its fifth and final roster update, which added legendary WWE names including Mr. McMahon, Paige, Ricky Steamboat, British Bulldog, Mr. Perfect, Doink the Clown, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and Vader.
  • Introduced exciting new content for Season 7 of WWE SuperCard, including the debut of the WrestleMania 37 card tier and new features to the game. WWE SuperCard also celebrated the 25th anniversary of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s WWE debut with new items and events, such as a brand- new “Stone Cold” Steve Austin cardback, Austin’s iconic jean shorts and more.
  • Released the Borderlands 3: Director’s Cut add-on, which is available for purchase separately and available to download for owners of Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition or Season Pass 2. The Director’s Cut add-on delivered a brand-new raid boss, story-driven murder mystery missions, daily and weekly challenges with unique themed rewards, and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes content. In addition, Tales from the Borderlands – a critically acclaimed, narrative-driven adventure game set within the Borderlands universe – was officially re-released on consoles and PC, and was also released on Switch for the first time, bringing an essential chapter of the Borderlands narrative to new audiences.
  • Launched the Vietnam & Kublai Khan Pack and the Portugal Pack for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, completing the full season of content from Firaxis Games’ New Frontier Pass. The packs bring new leaders, civilizations, optional game modes and more to Civilization VI.

Private Division:

  • On February 10, 2021, Private Division and Obsidian Entertainment released The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon, the first narrative-led expansion for the critically acclaimed, darkly humorous sci-fi RPG for Switch. The expansion was released previously for PlayStation4, Xbox One, and PC. The second and final expansion, The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos, launched on March 17, 2021 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, and will launch on Switch later in calendar 2021. Both expansions are available individually or at a discount as part of The Outer Worlds Expansion Pass.
  • Private Division announced that it will launch OlliOlli World this winter for Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. Developed by Roll7, this skateboarding action-platformer marks a bold new direction for the critically acclaimed franchise. Roll7 is a BAFTA and multi-award-winning London based independent studio famous for re-defining genres and creating remarkable games including OlliOlli, OlliOlli 2: Welcome to Olliwood, Laser League, and NOT A HERO.

Social Point/Playdots:

  • Across many of their mobile games, Social Points and Playdots launched new features, scavenger hunts, and marketing activations to drive player engagement. Both studios will continue to introduce new enhancements to their games in the coming year to further optimize the player experience.

Outlook for Fiscal 2022

Take-Two is providing its initial outlook for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 and its fiscal first quarter ending June 30, 2021:

Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2022

  • GAAP net revenue is expected to range from $3.14 to $3.24 billion
  • GAAP net income is expected to range from $228 to $257 million
  • GAAP diluted net income per share is expected to range from $1.95 to $2.20
  • Share count used to calculate both GAAP and management reporting diluted net income per share is expected to be 116.8 million (1)
  • Net cash provided by operating activities is expected to be over $380 million
  • Adjusted Unrestricted Operating Cash Flow (Non-GAAP) is expected to be over $400 million (2)
  • Capital expenditures are expected to be approximately $100 million
  • Net Bookings (operational metric) are expected to range from $3.2 to $3.3 billion

The Company is also providing selected data and its management reporting tax rate of 16%, which are used internally by its management and Board of Directors to adjust the Company’s GAAP financial outlook in order to facilitate comparison of its operating performance between periods and to better understand its core business and future outlook:

Twelve Months Ending March 31, 2022

Financial Data

 

$ in millions

GAAP outlook (3)

Change in deferred

net revenue and

related cost of

goods sold

Stock-based

compensation

Amortization

of Intangible

Assets

Reorganization

& Acquisition

 

Net revenue

$3,140 to $3,240

$60

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of goods sold

$1,411 to $1,456

$15

($43)

($22)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expenses

$1,461 to $1,481

 

($129)

($9)

($3)

 

 

 

 

 

Interest and other, net

($2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income taxes

$270 to $305

$45

$172

$31

$3

First Quarter Ending June 30, 2021

  • GAAP net revenue is expected to range from $730 to $780 million
  • GAAP net income is expected to range from $116 to $129 million
  • GAAP diluted net income per share is expected to range from $1.00 to $1.10
  • Share count used to calculate both GAAP and management reporting diluted net income per share is expected to be 116.5 million (4)
  • Net Bookings (operational metric) are expected to range from $625 to $675 million

The Company is also providing selected data and its management reporting tax rate of 16%, which are used internally by its management and Board of Directors to adjust the Company’s GAAP financial outlook in order to facilitate comparison of its operating performance between periods and to better understand its core business and future outlook:

Three Months Ending June 30, 2021

Financial Data

 

$ in millions

GAAP outlook (3)

Change in

deferred net

revenue and

related cost of

goods sold

Stock-based

compensation

Amortization of

acquired

intangible

assets

 

Net revenue

$730 to $780

($105)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of goods sold

$277 to $303

($10)

($14)

($6)

 

 

 

 

Operating Expenses

$316 to $326

 

($38)

($3)

 

 

 

 

Interest and other, net

($1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

$138 to $152

($95)

$52

$9

1)

Includes 115.9 million basic shares and 0.9 million shares representing the potential dilution from unvested employee stock grants.

2)

Includes a $20 million net decrease in restricted cash for fiscal 2022.

3)

The individual components of the financial outlook may not foot to the totals, as the Company does not expect actual results for every component to be at the low end or high end of the outlook range simultaneously.

4)

Includes 115.5 million basic shares and 1 million shares representing the potential dilution from unvested employee stock grants.

Key assumptions and dependencies underlying the Company’s outlook include: the timely delivery of the titles included in this financial outlook; a stable economic environment; continued consumer acceptance of Xbox One and PlayStation 4, as well as continued growth in the installed base of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S; the ability to develop and publish products that capture market share for these current generation systems while also leveraging opportunities on PC, mobile and other platforms; and stable foreign exchange rates. See also “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements” below.

Product Releases

The following titles were released since January 1, 2021:

Label

Title

Platforms

Release Date

2K

WWE 2K Battlegrounds Roster Update #4 (DLC)

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Stadia

January 27, 2021

2K

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass: Vietnam & Kublai Khan Pack (DLC)

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

January 28, 2021

Private Division

Kerbal Space Program

WeGame (China)

February 2, 2021

2K

WWE 2K Battlegrounds Roster Update #5 (DLC)

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Stadia

February 10, 2021

Private Division

The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon (DLC)

Switch

February 10, 2021

2K

Tales from the Borderlands

PS4, PC

February 17, 2021

Private Division

The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos (DLC)

PS4, Xbox One, PC

March 17, 2021

2K

Tales from the Borderlands

Switch

March 24, 2021

2K

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI – New Frontier Pass: Portugal Pack (DLC)

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

March 25, 2021

2K

NBA 2K21

iOS

April 2, 2021

2K

Borderlands 3 – Director’s Cut (part of Season Pass 2 DLC)

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Stadia

April 8, 2021

Take-Two’s lineup of future titles announced to-date includes:

Label

Title

Platforms

Release Date

Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto V

PS5, Xbox Series X|S

November 11, 2021

Rockstar Games

Grand Theft Auto Online – Standalone

PS5, Xbox Series X|S

November 11, 2021

Private Division

OlliOlli World

PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch (digital only)

Winter 2021

Private Division

The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos (DLC)

Switch

Calendar 2021

2K

NBA 2K22

TBA

Fiscal 2022

2K

WWE 2K22

TBA

Fiscal 2022

Private Division

Kerbal Space Program 2

PS4, Xbox One, PC

Fiscal 2023

Conference Call

Take-Two will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to review these results and discuss other topics. The call can be accessed by dialing (877) 407-0984 or (201) 689-8577. A live listen-only webcast of the call will be available by visiting http://ir.take2games.com and a replay will be available following the call at the same location.

Non-GAAP Financial Measure

In addition to reporting financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the Company uses a Non-GAAP measure of financial performance: Adjusted Unrestricted Operating Cash Flow, which is defined as GAAP net cash from operating activities, adjusted for changes in restricted cash. The Company’s management believes it is important to consider Adjusted Unrestricted Operating Cash Flow, in addition to net cash from operating activities, as it provides more transparency into current business trends without regard to the timing of payments from restricted cash, which is primarily related to a dedicated account limited to the payment of certain internal royalty obligations.

This Non-GAAP financial measure is not intended to be considered in isolation from, as a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results.

Contacts

(Investor Relations)

Nicole Shevins

Senior Vice President

Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
(646) 536-3005

Nicole.Shevins@take2games.com

(Corporate Press)

Alan Lewis

Vice President

Corporate Communications & Public Affairs

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
(646) 536-2983

Alan.Lewis@take2games.com

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