Analyst Says Rockstar Should Raise GTA 6 Price to $80

The conversation surrounding the price point of Grand Theft Auto 6 continues, as an analyst for the Bank of America has now stated that Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive should raise the price to $80 in order to support a struggling video game industry. While neither Take-Two or Rockstar has yet to officially reveal the price of Grand Theft Auto 6, many are speculating that it will be the first title to leave the traditional $70 price point behind and become the first AAA release to charge $80 or more.

After years of waiting, the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6 is officially less than 200 days away, but there are still tons of details about gaming’s most anticipated title that remain unknown. Aside from various gameplay elements, one thing most fans are eager to know is how much the game is actually going to cost. Take-Two Interactive was one of the very first companies to raise the price of its AAA releases from $60 to $70 with current-gen consoles in 2020, so another price hike for what will undoubtedly be the biggest video game release of all time seems highly likely.

It’s Officially Time to Start Worrying About Grand Theft Auto 6’s Release Date

Grand Theft Auto 6 has now entered its final pre-release stretch where continued radio silence from Rockstar can still be viewed as normal.

Analyst Says GTA 6 Should Increase Price to Help the Industry

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick recently commented on the potential price of Grand Theft Auto 6, and while he didn’t outright reveal how much it will cost, he did say that Rockstar will charge “way, way, way less of the value delivery.” Whether or not this means the game will stay at the traditional price point of $70 remains unknown, but an analyst from the Bank of America (via VGC) believes the studio needs to charge $80 to help the “struggling” industry. During the recent iicon video game conference in Las Vegas, Take-Two did not endorse an $80 price tag but noted that when taking into account inflation, the price of video games has fallen over time and that the company “would price GTA 6 commensurately with the value it delivers to consumers.”

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“We also heard from attendees that the industry, which is perceived as struggling, would have difficulty selling games for $80 if GTA 6 came out at $70. We think it’s in Take-Two’s self-interest, as a publisher and partner to many developers, to raise the price point for the entire industry,” Omar Dessouky, a stock analyst for the Bank of America, said.

With the price of video game development continuing to soar, as rumors suggest an eye-watering $3 billion budget for Grand Theft Auto 6, an increase in price for AAA releases seem inevitable. However, as Dessouky suggests, if Rockstar Games and Take-Two are unwilling to increase from $70 to $80 for the most anticipated video game of all time, it makes it impossible for other studios to justify a price increase for their games.

For consumers, an increase from $70 to $80 would be tough to swallow, but not impossible. What would be nearly impossible for many gamers, however, is an even steeper price hike. Late last year, a seperate industry analyst suggested that Grand Theft Auto 6 could be priced at $100 or more. However, this would specifically be for a Deluxe Edition of the game, which would likely come with extra in-game benefits and rewards. It was noted that too much of a price increase for the Standard Edition of Grand Theft Auto 6 would ultimately hinder the growth of GTA Online.

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Who’s That Character?

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There are still seven months left to go until Grand Theft Auto 6 hits PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but the wait for further details could just be weeks away. While many believe a third trailer may finally release this month, ahead of Take-Two Interactive’s next quarterly earnings call on May 21, the company’s CEO has already confirmed that marketing for GTA 6 will kick off in the Summer.