Take-Two shares took a hit on Wednesday following the news thatRockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser will leave the Grand Theft Auto makernext month.
The publisher’s share price peaked at $127.74 during trading on Tuesday, prior to that evening’s announcement that Houser would be leavingTake-Twosubsidiary Rockstar.
On Wednesday, the first full day after the news broke, Take-Two’s share price dropped to as low as $119.31 (down 6.6% from Tuesday’s high), before closing at $120.76.
In a statement published on Tuesday,Take-Two saidthat following an “extended break” beginning in the spring of 2019, VP of creative Houser will leave the company on Jun 30, 2025.
“We are extremely grateful for his contributions,” it said. “Rockstar Gameshas built some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful game worlds, a global community of passionate fans and an incredibly talented team, which remains focused on current and future projects.”
Houser, who co-founded Rockstar in 1998 alongside his brother Sam, Terry Donovan and Jamie King, has overseen virtually all the company’s games for the past 20 years.
Rockstar’s most recent titles,Grand Theft Auto VandRed Dead Redemption 2, have alone sold a combined 150 million units.
Take-Two said this week thatSam Houser’s role at Rockstar president remains unchanged.
The company may provide further comment on the situation at Rockstar when it reports its third quarter financial results on Thursday evening.
