Originally scheduled for release in late 2025, Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed to May 26, 2026. The long-awaited follow-up to 2013’s Grand Theft Auto 5 will take players back to Vice City and, according to a fan-led mapping project, will feature a world significantly larger than previous entries in the franchise.
Given the game’s massive scope and lengthy development cycle, fans have speculated about how much Rockstar and publisher Take-Two might charge. Earlier this year, gaming analyst Matthew Ball suggested in a report that GTA 6 could “re-establish packed video game prices after decades of deflation despite rampant cost growth,” noting that other studios were hoping for a $100 price tag so they could justify higher prices for their own titles.
Other analysts have weighed in on the potential price point. “GTA 6 is going to be a cultural phenomenon and could bear a $100 price point, but player backlash would be significant, and that would be a short-term gain at a long-term cost. Maximising day-one premium revenues is not the play here, especially in today’s economy,” said Rhy Elliot.
Now, Saints Row’s original design director, Chris Stockman, has shared his perspective, arguing that Rockstar is the only studio that could successfully sell a $100 game. “I don’t think it’s a rising tide that floats all boats. I think that there’ll be a tremendous amount of backlash if everyone switched to $100. Not all games are created equal,” he told Esports Insider. “I think GTA is the only one that can get away with it, and I hope they do. I really hope it’s $100. I think it deserves to be $100. The scope and magnitude of this production deserves that price tag. It would be a disaster if everyone tried to match them.”
Meanwhile, the overall cost of games has been climbing. Nintendo priced its upcoming Mario Kart World for the Switch 2 at £75 under its new “variable pricing structure,” while Microsoft recently reversed plans to charge $80 for new releases after player backlash. However, the company has introduced a controversial new pricing model for Xbox Game Pass, significantly raising subscription costs.
