The Grand Theft Auto franchise provokes more fan speculation and unsubstantiated rumor circulation than nearly any other IP, but as retail values for new AAA titles continue to climb, the price point for the franchise’s upcoming sixth entry has become a primary point of contention.
During a recent earnings call, the CEO of Rockstar Games’ parent company, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., heard questions regarding Grand Theft Auto VI pricing concerns. In the call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick fielded questions regarding the potential for an $80 GTA VI, but his responses created more questions than answers:
“I think our approach may be a little bit different … We believe that any consumer experience is the intersection of the thing itself and what you paid for the thing. So our goal is to vastly exceed expectations. We want to put out the best entertainment on Earth, and we want to deliver more value than what we charge for it. We think we’ve generally speaking, gotten that right.”
Though seemingly confident about game quality, the Take-Two executive does not explicitly mention the sequel’s sticker price, instead saying game quality has historically counterbalanced prices. “Variable pricing has been the nature of this industry forever,” Zelnick said. “You know, most Frontline releases will go out at a higher price, sometimes with special editions, and then over time usually the price is discounted to optimize for the largest possible market. And I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon … The rubric that informs us is really that of delivering more value than what we charge.”
Grand Theft Auto VI is one of many recent game announcements that have given way to consumer cost concerns. Since the start of 2025, several notable video game studios have announced price hikes for hardware, peripherals, and games — physical copies as well as digital downloads. But as living costs rise and tech companies trade hundreds of human employees for generative AI in the name of profit, fans in the U.S. fear their once-accessible hobby will soon sit behind a paywall.
Unsurprisingly, executives and shareholders haven’t shared the same concerns. In June, players criticized Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford after he told budget-conscious followers on X (formerly Twitter) that “a real fan” can scrounge up the $80 necessary to snag Borderlands 4. “A) Not my call. B) If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen,” Pitchford asserted. “My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.”
Pitchford-led Gearbox is an offshoot of 2K Games, a Take-Two subsidiary. Other major brands under the Take-Two umbrella include NBA Take-Two Media, Zynga, Hangar 13, Ghost Story Games, and motion capture software company Dynamixyz.
As young gamers’ purchases dwindle and tariffs continue to threaten tech prices, Take-Two shared its Q1 2026 report, showing its net bookings increased to $1.42 billion. According to the brand, the new figure is “significantly above the guidance range” of around $1.25 billion. After what it calls “better-than-expected performance” of its mobile games and the GTA franchise following the second GTA VI trailer earlier this year, Take-Two projects its Q2 will eclipse $6 billion.
Grand Theft Auto 6 will land on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on May 26, 2026.
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A lifelong gamer raised on classic titles like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Croc, Stephanie brings her expertise of gaming and pop culture to deliver unique, refreshing views on the world of video games, complete with references to absurd and obscure media.
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