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Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) will likely be the most expensive video game ever produced. A former Rockstar Games employee has attributed the rising production costs to the ever-increasing deployments of AI.
During the most recent AI roundtable discussion, a former employee, whose name was kept confidential, having worked on past GTA titles, commented.
They disclosed that advanced AI systems incorporated throughout GTA 6 significantly increased the game's estimated $2 billion budget, which was not only the result of conventional development costs, such as voice acting, motion capture, and world-building, but also reflected the additional expenses incurred by incorporating AI systems.
"Rockstar is pushing boundaries with AI in GTA 6," said the developer. AI is everywhere in the game, from life-like conversations with NPCs to sophisticated NPC behavior. These innovations, however, come at a fantastic price, from upkeep to infrastructure and research.
Having been formally revealed in the late months of 2023, with a release scheduled for fall 2026, GTA 6 is set to revolutionize open-world games. The game takes place in the reimagined Vice City and boasts a dual-protagonist storyline.
Much of the unprecedented realism seen in leaks and promotional materials is due to Rockstar’s integration of generative AI and machine learning, which simulates human reactions and world interactions.
Also Read: GTA 6 Hits Xbox Store - Here’s How to Wishlist and Prepare for Launch
Rockstar made investments worth several million dollars into proprietary AI tools during the development stages. These tools required collaboration with specialists who demanded high processing power and custom-built training datasets.
They mentioned, "You could never just plug ChatGPT into a game engine and expect magic." "Everything, from physics systems to behavior trees to language models, was created by Rockstar from scratch, all AI-infused and tuned for real-time operation on consoles."
According to industry analysts, the development costs of GTA 6 surpassed those of other blockbuster games, including Star Citizen and Cyberpunk 2077. That, of course, includes a large post-launch support budget, maintenance of AI infrastructure, and potential cloud-based upgrades, in addition to the initial development.
According to game industry economist Marcus Leigh, "It's unlikely that we'll see another game reach this scale of spending anytime soon." "You just cannot justify the financial risk unless you are a company with the resources and global reach of Rockstar.
Although AI has great potential, implementing it properly can be costly, particularly at Rockstar's ambitious level.
Early estimates suggest that GTA 6 could surpass all previous gaming sales records and generate over $5 billion in its first year despite the apparent risk associated with the investment. A new era of AAA game development might be ushered in if it is successful. In this era, AI would not only be a feature but also the cornerstone of engaging gameplay and immersive storytelling.
However, Obbe Vermeij cautions against viewing AI as a cure-all: “AI doesn’t replace creativity—it amplifies it. But mastering it takes time, money, and vision. Rockstar had all three, and that’s why GTA 6 will remain in a league of its own.”
Also Read: GTA 6’s World Reportedly Dwarfs Los Santos; Leaks Point to Biggest Map Ever
