$100 for GTA 6?! Truth or Myth? Where the Rumors Come From and What to Actually Expect

The unhealthy hype surrounding the $100 price tag for a licensed copy of GTA 6 emerged long before Rockstar announced an official price. Undoubtedly, the most anticipated game of the decade has the right to break the industry's price ceiling. But will it actually do so? In this article, we examine where the "hundred bucks" figure came from and why it might be fake!

The story of the hundred-dollar price is a classic example of how the modern information landscape works.

Michael Pachter from Wedbush Securities was the first to discuss it. His logic is simple: if the development budget has reached $1.5-2 billion (making it the most expensive game in history), then the price can be raised. In terms of revenue, he estimates GTA 6's prospects at $10 billion from game copy sales over its entire lifespan, plus $500 million annually from microtransactions and other content in GTA Online.

He presented all this as a personal assessment, but it was immediately picked up by media outlets that benefit from highlighting bright figures in headlines. Thus, the sensational "the game will cost $100" began spreading through economic publications and gaming news.

Louise Wooldridge from Ampere Analysis supported her colleague, calling GTA 6 "the most anticipated game of all time" and "one of the most expensive to develop." Economic Times picked up the trend, citing their "insiders" who "spoke" about a standard $100 price.

The next step saw the opinion migrate to communities. On Reddit and X, it turned into heated discussion: many debated the game's cost without even suspecting they were discussing merely an analyst hypothesis. The final touch was added by info-scammers — YouTube channels and TikTok bloggers who need just one catchy figure for hype.

A beautiful situation with one flaw — no one from Rockstar or Take-Two confirms the $100 price for the base game copy.

Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two's CEO, masterfully avoids direct answers to this question. His standard formulation: "Our goal is to provide more value than we take." He emphasizes a "variable pricing" policy and promises that Rockstar will announce the price "in due time."

This is classic corporate speak that can be interpreted any way you want. Zelnick doesn't rule out a premium price, but doesn't confirm the hundred-dollar request for the base version either. Rather, he hints at expensive collector's editions while maintaining standard pricing for the main version.

Reddit is full of skeptical comments. Users rightfully point out: rumors about $100 were born in gaming communities themselves, not from official sources. Typical reaction: "The game will cost the same as any other AAA — $70 or $80."

On social network X, the reaction is even sharper. Under posts about the hundred-dollar price, hundreds of comments appear like "No game is worth $100" and "I'll wait for the free giveaway on EGS in 2 years." Even the most devoted fans express reasonable concerns that such a price will scare away the broad masses of players.

In Asian gaming communities, price discussion is almost absent — they're more waiting for information about localization and mobile services. For Western audiences, price is a painful topic; for Eastern ones, it's more a question of access and adaptation.

To be fair, analysts' arguments about growing development budgets have solid grounds. GTA 5 cost $265 million in 2013 — an astronomical sum by those standards. But today its budget looks modest compared to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which cost $500 million, and Cyberpunk 2077 — around $400 million.

GTA 6's development stretched over 10+ years with a constantly growing team and management problems at Rockstar that surfaced during the process. If insiders are to be believed, the project's final budget could have reached $2 billion. We shouldn't forget about actual dollar inflation either — over the period from roughly 2013 to 2025, purchasing power fell by ~38%, meaning $100 then equals ~$138 today.

The industry has essentially entered a vicious cycle: the more expensive the project, the higher the risk, the more cautious the publisher becomes with price experiments. The industry is trying to find balance between investment payback and mass accessibility. GTA 6 could become a stress test for this balance — but more likely through premium editions than a radical revision of base prices.

As consumers, we face a different dilemma — income shortage amid outpacing expenses. $70 games still cause grumbling among players, especially against the backdrop of post-pandemic economic instability.

It's telling that Rockstar recently raised prices on Red Dead Redemption and its sequel by up to +50% in several countries. Many consider this preparation of the audience for GTA 6's price increase. Logical — why immediately shock with $100 when you can gradually accustom people to more expensive pricing.

But there's a difference between testing a mass audience and setting new standards. Red Dead isn't GTA in terms of popularity scale. A sharp jump to $100 could become "a bridge too far" even for GTA 6. The current industry trend is $70 for AAA games, established in 2020. Yes, Nintendo raised the bar to $80 for some Switch 2 projects this year, but this is more an act of desperation from the Japanese company.

From our perspective, the base version of GTA 6 won't exceed $70-80, like most modern AAA games. A hundred bucks and more — that's the territory of collector's and deluxe editions with GTA Online bonuses, artbooks, and other joys for hardcore fans.

Take-Two has no economic reasons to risk the base version's accessibility. The company will earn main money not from launch sales, but from years-long GTA Online monetization. Why shrink the initial audience for dubious short-term profit?

But this doesn't mean there won't be additional game monetization methods. Take-Two might deploy their entire marketing arsenal: special editions with in-game currency, merch, season passes, and exclusive cosmetic sets for GTA Online. A subscription service with some expanded GTA+ version — with early access to updates, unique cars, or locations? Sign me up!

Experimental models can't be ruled out either: temporary paid access to closed beta servers, brand collaborations, or expanded metaverse presence where in-game goods can be tied to real ones. Rockstar traditionally doesn't overload players with donations in story campaigns, but online the company has long been building a full-fledged micropayment ecosystem. Therefore, the main financial emphasis will be not on base price, but on long-term player retention within GTA's digital economy.

After all, GTA Online showed how one game can bring billions over 10 years through content and events. If this model worked for GTA 5, it's logical to expect GTA 6 to become an even deeper ecosystem where you can buy everything — from apartments in new districts to tickets for in-game concerts by real artists.

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The $100 price for GTA 6's base version is analyst and media fears, not Rockstar's real plans. The studio will most likely choose a safe strategy: $70-80 for standard edition and $100+ for premium versions. The main intrigue isn't in the launch price, but in how quickly the game will recoup its record budget and whether it becomes a catalyst for industry price growth. So far, everything points to maintaining the status quo with small premium markups.

The official price will be announced closer to the 2026 release. Then it will become clear whether Rockstar decides on a price revolution or prefers moves proven on GTA 5.