Strauss Zelnick, the head of Rockstar owner Take-Two, has commented on the price of new video games, and while he did not reveal how much GTA 6 will cost, he said people are going to line up to buy it because it will be so compelling.
Speaking to IGN, Zelnick said he is “sensitive to the fact that so many people are facing economic challenges” these days with rising gas, grocery, and rent prices–just to name a few. However, he said people aren’t going to skip GTA 6 just because prices of many other things in their lives may be increasing.
“If you give people what they want in the entertainment business, they will come out for it,” he said.
Also in the interview, Zelnick pointed out–as he has done before–that the prices for new games have actually declined over the past 30 years. For example, the price of GTA 5 when it launched in 2013 was $60 USD. Today, that’s about $85 due to inflation.
The standard going rate for big AAA games today is $70, and that price has not risen with annual inflation levels. Companies not raising prices has led to numerous developments in games that many people don’t like, including more microtransactions. The thinking is that if companies refuse to charge more for games, they will find other ways to generate revenue to help offset increasing development costs.
A Bank of America stock analyst said Rockstar should charge $80 for GTA 6 to help encourage other publishers to raise prices as well, which in turn may help the industry overall become more sustainable. People generally do not like to see prices go up (especially if their own wages have not increased with inflation), but data does show that consumers are already ready and willing to embrace $80 games.
Zelnick, for his part, said Rockstar is trying to make GTA an experience that is “so much better than we people pay for, that they’re thrilled to buy our titles.” He added, “Our job is to make the best entertainment on earth and that’s true across the board.”
Beyond the price of GTA 6–whatever that turns out to be–people will need a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S to play the game. Both platforms have seen price increases since they launched. The cheapest way to get in today is with the $400 Xbox Series S. The least expensive PS5 model is the $600 digital system.
GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It was supposed to launch today, May 26, but Rockstar delayed the project to help improve its quality.
