An analyst stated during a talk show that the $80 price tag for Grand Theft Auto 6 is not high enough and claimed that Rockstar Games should charge $200 for what they called “the last great game.” The take came just four months before GTA 6 is scheduled to launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
While GTA 6 is one of the most anticipated titles of 2026, Rockstar has come under fire for its decision not to ship the game on a Blu-ray Disc and instead provide a digital download voucher that users can redeem on the PlayStation or Microsoft storefronts. The move drew the ire of gamers and developers, including CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski. The Lords of the Fallen 2 lead stated that Rockstar’s digital shift was unfair to game studios still shipping physical copies.
Analyst Believes GTA 6 Should Cost $200 Rather Than $80
Although the standard edition of GTA 6 has already raised eyebrows with its $80 MSRP, one analyst believes Rockstar Games could have charged even more. During a July 8 interview with TBPN, Stratechery founder and financial analyst Ben Thompson said that Rockstar Games was charging “way too little” for GTA 6. Thompson said that the developers should charge $200 for the upcoming title, calling GTA 6 “the last great game” before the advent of AI in game development. He continued by sharing that he felt compelled to buy GTA 6, despite not knowing if he would play it himself. TBPN show host John Coogan told Thompson that his analysis of GTA 6‘s price was a “nuclear take.”
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Thompson said that GTA 6 was the “pinnacle of AAA craftsmanship,” likely made possible through developer crunch. In early July, members of the Rockstar Games Workers Union (RGWU) accused the studio of payment issues, mismanagement, and crunch culture to get Grand Theft Auto 6 ready for its November 19 release. The crunch was allegedly baked into the contracts of some UK-based Rockstar staff members, though the union acknowledged that some Rockstar staff teams are not subject to any crunch. The ongoing unionization efforts within the UK have already resulted in wage increases for Rockstar staff members since last October.
However, the $80 price of GTA 6 is still a steep one for consumers to pay. By comparison, 2013’s GTA 5 was priced at $60, which is roughly $86 in 2026 after adjusting for inflation. Given that GTA 6 costs $10 more than most AAA titles available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, this could result in an extra $450 million in revenue for Rockstar Games.
Regardless of the price, industry analysts have stated that GTA 6 is expected to break sales records on launch day. Since digital game releases are generally more profitable than physical copies, it remains to be seen how much money Rockstar Games will make from GTA 6‘s initial sales.
- Released
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November 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+