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GTA 6 fans are currently heartbroken. After the massive hype of the game coming during this fall, the postponement to May 26, 2026, is disheartening. However, the curiosity about the game is still alive. Especially after Rockstar announced it would require more time to polish the experience, gamers are curious about the development of the game. To be precise, the development cost of GTA 6.
Reportedly, Rockstar is pushing boundaries of the gaming industry with GTA 6. Current leaks tease that Rockstar Games’s GTA 6 development budget can easily surpass the construction cost of the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa.
As per the current reports, GTA 6’s estimated budget is between US$1 billion and US$2 billion. This is not an official thing, but speculations indicate that this game is going to be the most expensive video game ever made, which is going to surpass Burj Khalifa in cost. The tallest structure in the world, Burj Khalifa, cost US$1.5 billion and took six years to be made.
On the contrary, GTA 5 was released in 2013, and GTA 6 is coming in 2026. So, it takes 13 years to develop GTA 6. Considering that, reports indicate that it will cost nearly US$2 million. This further highlights the immense resources that Rockstar is spending for this upcoming game.
Moreover, this massive cost highlights the rapidly changing gaming scene, where game development is challenging major Hollywood films in making a budget. Again, this approach of Rockstar highlights the importance of storytelling, expansive open-world, and cutting-edge graphics to meet the expectations of modern gamers.
Despite this hefty spending, analysts predict Rockstar will gain profit once the game releases globally. Projections suggest that within its first year, this game will generate more than US$3.2 billion, with pre-orders alone going over US$1 billion.
Over the years, the Grand Theft Auto franchise has constantly set new standards in the gaming world. It’s not only the gameplay that gets revolutionized with each GTA installment, but also the production budget. In 2004, when GTA: San Andreas came out, it had a development cost of nearly US$10-15 million. Within four years this production cost escalated to approximately US$100 million with GTA 4.
After that, this trend never stopped. In 2013, when GTA V came out, it combined development and marketing costs, which were around US$265 million. The magical part is every time these investments paid off for Rockstar, and they earned revenue more than they had spent.
GTA 6, being the latest entry in the franchise, is supposed to break all the previous records. Not only that, it’s even competing with well-known structures like the Burj Khalifa. It not only shows how much Rockstar is dedicated to this project but also reflects the rapidly changing landscape of the gaming industry. With this high game development budget, the gaming industry is establishing itself as a dominant force in the global entertainment world.
