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As anticipation for GTA 6 builds, questions about every detail of the highly anticipated game continue to mount, from gameplay and trailers to the future of GTA Online, but the most controversial question remains: How much will the game cost?
Over the past few months, speculation has circulated that GTA 6 could be priced at $100, becoming the first game to break that barrier in the AAA market, but Obbe Vermeij, former technical director at Rockstar North, ruled out this scenario completely in statements to GameHub.
Vermeij believes that Rockstar’s strategy is not to maximize the price of the base version, but to expand the player base, especially with a profitable standalone mode like GTA 6 Online:
“I don’t think they will raise the price to 100 dollars because they will release a special mode for GTA 6 Online and their goal will be to reach as many players as possible.
He added that trying to collect an extra $30 from the sale price is not a smart move, explaining that Rockstar will stick to the usual price and then make its profits later via additional content and the game’s internal economy as it did with GTA 5.
There is no doubt that GTA 6 represents a huge leap in terms of budget, as the development lasted for more than 10 years, which made some people automatically associate these huge costs with the possibility of raising the price. Vermeij emphasizes that the game may be the most expensive in the history of the gaming industry, but he believes that this does not necessarily mean passing the cost on to the players.
According to him, artists account for about 70% of the cost of development, but he expects this burden to decrease in the future as the use of AI and procedural generation in asset creation and even in large-scale cinematic scenes expands instead of the costly reliance on motion capture of dozens of people.
The debate over price actually began when analyst Michael Pachter predicted that Rockstar might dare to release the game at $100, capitalizing on the global hype, but other analysts such as Rhys Elliot of Alinea Analytics warned that such a move could hurt GTA Online, which is expected to be the biggest source of revenue.
Mike York, a former Rockstar designer, said that the most realistic price is $70 for the basic version, with the possibility of an optional deluxe version at a higher price that includes additional content or special rewards in GTA Online.
Despite fans’ fears of a third delay, York believes that the November 2026 date is ideal for Rockstar as it precedes the holiday season and guarantees huge sales, and so far the official date is still set for November 15, 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
In the end, despite the enormity of the project and its costs, most opinions indicate that Rockstar will not risk raising the base price of GTA 6, preferring to repeat the successful model that made GTA 5 one of the most profitable games in the history of the industry.
