Twelve years after the indestructible GTA V, GTA 6 arouses an almost messianic expectation. But the shadow of a launch price (very) high hovers on the game, arousing justified concern among players.
Waiting around Grand Theft Auto VI lives up to his illustrious predecessor. How to compete with GTA Vwhich has sold more than 215 million copies since its release, and which sits at the top of the most profitable game rankings ever designed? On the side of the Rockstar development studio, the formula is simple: do everything big, bigger, more beautiful, more disproportionate. And even though he is far from out, GTA 6 is already expected for an industrial cardboardas the hopes placed in him seem immense.
However, if enthusiasm dominates part of the players, an concern grows. The cost of developing the game, estimated at more than a billion dollars, imposes on Rockstar and its parent company Take-Two to return to its costs. Which lets fear a disproportionate sale price for GTA 6especially since Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, questioned by Varietydelivered some explanations far from dissipating these concerns.
Hello, Cofidis? It’s for a GTA 6 loan
True to his legendary wooden tongue, Zelnick engaged in a real verbal sleight of hand during this interview. While the question of the sale rate of GTA 6 was clearly asked, the CEO of Take-Two explained that Rockstar Games will announce the price later. He insisted on the fact that the launch of the game will be at a “premium” rate, which will clearly target fans of the license, and that will follow a gradual drop to reach a wider audience. The CEO also stressed that a variable pricing is a long -standing principle within the group.
“From now on, this announcement will come from Rockstar in time. Our goal has always been to deliver more value than that we invoic, and we have always practiced variable pricing within the company. As you know, the industry approach consists in launching a game at a premium price, sometimes accompanied by special editions, then, over time, reducing this price in order to expand the overall size of the market.
We do exactly the same. I think that, probably more than most, we endeavor to make sure that the experience is excellent, not only because the game itself is excellent, but also because consumers have paid a just price to obtain it. »»
Strauss’s new symphony
Strauss Zelnick clearly prepares the field for a high launch price of GTA 6while avoiding announcing it head on. By returning the decision to Rockstar and insisting on the “value” delivered to the player, he adopts a classic strategy: frame the future price as just and proportionate to the quality of the title, rather than an increase. His statements aim above all to defuse criticism upstream, by presenting a price noted as a natural consequence of an exceptional game.
By evoking variable pricing, he also recalls that the price will drop over time, surely to reassure the most patient players while first capturing buyers ready to pay more (the hardcore fan of GTA SO). Be that as it may, the subtext is clear: the initial price could exceed current standards, but will be defended as fair thanks to the extent of the content and the promise of an unparalleled experience.
There remains the big question: how much will this mega blockbuster Aaaa cost, which should be a revolution in the video game (we laugh)? Recall that in November 2023, Strauss Zelnick, had already announced his intention to increase his prices in a global manner.
« Pricing level, and for any entertainment, the algorithm would calculate […] Its value per hour multiplied by the number of hours planned, plus the terminal value collected by the customer in possession of the title if it is really possessed, and not, for example, rented or subscribed. »
Most analysts believe that GTA 6 could happen in the stalls at the price of € 99 for a classic edition, and that the premium editions of the game (collector with goodies, or with a seasonal pass to play GTA online), could very well reach 120 or 130 €.
And if, for most players, it is a psychological milestone that they are not ready to cross, it turns out that a detour by the comments of the trailers of GTA 6 shows that a large part of the fans are ready to take out their bank card regardless of the price displayed. With players so faithful and dedicated to their cause, Rockstar and Take-Two can announce any price, the fight is already earned for them.
GTA 6 is expected on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series for May 26, 2026.
