Take-Two, the parent company behind GTA 6, is rumored to have poured between $1 billion and $1.5 billion into Rockstar’s highly anticipated title. These estimates of GTA 6’s development cost come from Business Insider, which compiled industry analysts’ projections following a conversation with Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.
If these numbers are indeed true, Grand Theft Auto 6 could easily claim the crown as the most expensive video game ever made. For a bit of perspective, Horizon Forbidden West took five years and $212 million to make, with a team of 300. The Last of Us Part 2 had a $220 million budget and 200 developers. Even Bungie’s Marathon reboot, at a reported $200 million, doesn’t come close.
GTA 6 Could Be More Expensive Due to Huge Development Cost
Strauss Zelnick has described GTA 6 as an “expensive” project, but he’s yet to disclose the exact figure. With analysts estimating the cost at well over a billion dollars, calling it expensive might just be the understatement of the year. With a budget this massive, it’s no wonder GTA 6 could arrive with a premium price tag. Last year’s reports and leaks pointed to a possible $100 launch price, a figure that’s already got fans talking (and fretting).
With GTA 6 expected to be the biggest entertainment launch ever, it makes sense that Rockstar’s development costs are so high. According to Business Insider, some Rockstar staff have been working on the game for over a decade at this point. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Zelnick noted that development costs have increased over time, but Take-Two aims to provide its teams with all the resources they need to deliver the best game possible.
In the aforementioned conversation, Zelnick also discussed GTA 6′s price, and although he didn’t mention that all-important figure, the Take-Two CEO emphasized that the company’s “job is to charge way, way, way less of the value delivery”. Furthermore, Zelnick called “making the most spectacular piece of entertainment on Earth, in history” a “pretty daunting challenge“.
GTA 6 is officially set to drop on November 19, landing on both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
