The excitement around GTA 6 continues to be the same, with regular rumours and leaks teasing surprising details. However, as the release date approaches, one concern has resurfaced: What will the price of GTA 6 be? From the beginning, rumors have been circulating about the GTA 6 launch date and its $100 price, setting a new bar for AAA games. For many players, the higher price raises fears that they won’t be able to access the upcoming GTA title like previous ones in the franchise.
Recently, a former technical director from Rockstar Games, who has worked on GTA titles as well, expressed that the worries related to GTA 6's price are kind of baseless. A $100 price tag isn't how Rockstar's business model works.
Obbe Vermeij, a former technical director at Rockstar Games, has said that a $100 standard edition for GTA 6 is highly unlikely. In his recent interview with GamesHub, Vermeij explained that Rockstar has never publicly hinted at such a price tag. This figure largely emerged from online speculation rather than concrete information.
As per his opinion, Rockstar is likely to “make it a regular priced game and then make the money on the back-end.” The ex-technical director has opined that Rockstar’s business model doesn’t need to set a higher price for a game. Despite the game's production cost being sky-high, the game's price won’t cross the already-set AAA game boundary. The studio has historically relied on long-term monetisation rather than one-time purchases.
Keeping the base game closer to the current $70 industry standard allows more players to jump in, strengthening the online ecosystem and driving ongoing revenue through optional purchases.
According to Vermeij, charging extra for a standard edition doesn't make sense when the studio has the option to bring deluxe editions for a higher price range.
Also Read: Why Did Rockstar Reject GTA Tokyo, Rio & Moscow? Check the Backstory
Vermeij has further shared his thoughts on the production cost of GTA 6. The game is believed to be the most expensive game ever made in the gaming world. Industry insiders have opined that the development cost may reach around $2 billion.
Vermeij never contradicted the part. Instead, he said, “My theory is that GTA VI will be the most expensive game ever developed, and it will remain that way because AI is going to take up a lot of the monotonous work that artists have to do.”
Another thing that the ex-Rockstar technical director mentioned is that the use of AI in GTA 6 to create background environments, crowd behaviour, and NPC reactions won’t replace artists. He instead mentioned that the aim here is not to replace artists but to help developers more efficiently.
After two consecutive delays, the present scheduled date for GTA 6 is November 19, 2026. Rockstar Games officially announced this delay with an apologetic note for the community, but the studio mentioned it needs time to level up the game as per fans’ expectations.
Though rumors of further delays have been circulating among players, Rockstar is again silent about their biggest release of the decade.