Could Grand Theft Auto VI really Cost £100?

How much would you pay for Grand Theft Auto VI?

The hype surrounding this highly anticipated game is off the charts, and one industry expert reckons that publisher Take-Two could slap a staggering £90-£100 price tag on it — and still sell millions.

For context, the standard price of a top-tier game today is £69.99.

If GTA VI sets a new pricing benchmark, it could pave the way for the rest of the industry to follow suit.

Imagine having to shell out £90-£100 regularly for blockbuster games — on top of the £400+ you’ve already spent on your console.

This bold prediction comes from Matthew Ball, a former Amazon executive turned tech visionary.

Ball, who’s widely respected for his insights on the metaverse (and may have even influenced Facebook’s rebranding to Meta), believes the demand for GTA VI is so intense that gamers wouldn’t blink at the higher price.

Would you?

How Much Will GTA VI Cost?

Matthew Ball’s report hones in on a blockbuster moneymaker: Grand Theft Auto VI.

He suggests the gaming industry is banking on GTA VI smashing the £90-£100 price barrier, potentially dragging other games up with it.

This could see smaller games hike prices too, with £50 titles jumping to £60, and £60 games going for £70.

If it happens, it would be the first major price increase since 2020, when AAA games went from £60 to £70.

Before that, prices held steady at £60 from the Xbox 360 and PS3 days in 2005.

Adjusted for inflation, though, even a £90 game today is cheaper than a £50 title from the 1990s.

Despite soaring development costs, nominal prices have stayed relatively low thanks to digital sales, DLCs, and microtransactions.

Take GTA Online, which rakes in cash from Shark Cards that let players splurge on condos and fighter jets.

Others share Ball’s sentiment. A senior developer at Larian Studios argued most games are underpriced given their production costs.

With inflation biting and GTA VI set to be the most hyped release in gaming history, there is the possibility that Rockstar pushes through the £100 mark.

However, this could have negative effects on the gaming industry as analyst Mat Piscatella said:

“This is ridiculous. There’s no need to make the base price of any game $100. Special editions, collector’s editions, gold/silver editions, etc do the same thing and a high percentage of day-one buyers jump on those at their elevated price points. There’s just no need.”

He explained that it would reduce accessibility and in turn, kill the game’s momentum.

Piscatella added: “You want to make the funnel as wide as possible, while also optimising launch money.

“You don’t do this by making the base price of a game so high that the funnel narrows. It just makes no sense. At all.”

When is GTA VI Coming Out?

In December 2023, fans buzzing by the first trailer may have been disappointed when Grand Theft Auto VI‘s tentative release date was confirmed at the end of the clip.

It revealed that GTA VI would arrive in 2025.

Now, publisher Take-Two Interactive has revised that release date window by promising to launch the game in autumn 2025.

Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick said: “We are highly confident that Rockstar Games will deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience, and our expectations for the commercial impact of the title continue to increase.”

An earnings call is due on February 6 and, if there’s an increased risk of delay, there may be hints to suggest that.

Zelnick seemed confident that the game would be released during the scheduled period.

He also highlighted the risk of “slippage” in today’s games, where development issues can lead to delays.

Explaining how you might determine when a game is ready for release, Zelnick said:

“There are elements you can measure, such as the number of bugs in a title.”

“Every one of us will make sure we have as few bugs as possible before we launch.

“However, in the case of an extraordinary title, of which there are extraordinary expectations, it’s not really about bugs.

“It’s about creating an experience no one has seen before. And Rockstar Games seeks perfection in what they do. Perfection is indeed hard to measure, it’s more subjective than objective.”

GTA VI’s Setting

The trailer confirmed Grand Theft Auto VI would be taking players back to Vice City, Rockstar’s fictional spin on Miami.

Set in the sun-soaked fictional state of Leonidas, the game world looks stunning, blending Miami-inspired skylines with lush Everglades-style swamps.

True to Rockstar’s flair for immersive, open worlds, the trailer teased an airboat racing through a misty swamp, with flamingos scattering under a golden morning sun.

Later, we saw alligators wandering into shops and homes, adding to the chaos and charm.

The eccentric characters are as wild as ever: dirt bike gangs, a hammer-wielding vigilante, a convict with face tattoos, and even a woman twerking atop a moving car.

It’s a fittingly outrageous return to the Vice City we first explored in 2002’s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Early reports suggested that the game world may be larger than that of GTA V, which 2002’s Vice City was a relatively small collection of islands.

If the trailer is any indication, Rockstar is taking this world to the next level.

What is the Rumoured Story?

Grand Theft Auto VI will see the franchise’s first female protagonist.

One of the main characters is Lucia, who is seen in prison and out of it, committing an armed robbery with her male partner.

Like a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde, the pair are likely to go on a crime-filled adventure across the state of Leonidas, exploring its chaotic sights and sounds while tangling with its criminal underworld.

In 2013, Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser revealed why a woman wasn’t playable in GTA V – and how the team could make it happen.

He said: “We didn’t really think about it this time [of GTA V]. That’s not to say that we couldn’t or we wouldn’t.

“This character set is just what came to us: it wasn’t, ‘We’ve got X and Y so we need Z’, we weren’t trying to do it off a checklist — I don’t think that will ever give you something that’s believable or engaging.

“In the future, could we do a game with a lead female character?

“Of course. We just haven’t found the right game for it yet, but it’s one of the things that we always think about.”

“It didn’t feel natural for this game but definitely for the right game in the future — with the right themes, it could be fantastic.”

There are unconfirmed rumours that GTA VI will follow its predecessor’s gameplay, which allowed players to switch between characters.

So, will GTA 6 really break the £100 barrier?

With its massive hype, sprawling Vice City-inspired world, and Rockstar’s reputation for setting industry standards, it just might.

If GTA 6 proves gamers are willing to pay top dollar, it could reshape the pricing landscape for blockbuster games.

The real question is: how much are you willing to pay to join the madness?

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