Yesterday, Grand Theft Auto fans might have risked a heart attack when they heard from Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter that GTA VI might be priced at $100 at launch. Pachter believes that Rockstar could get away with it, making it the first time ever for such a price for a base game. Nintendo already got roasted for Mario Kart World being $80; would even the massively anticipated GTA VI survive such a risky business choice?
For now, we can only speculate. However, we spoke with another fellow analyst, Wccftech friend Rhys Elliott from Alinea Analytics, who kindly explained why he doesn’t buy Pachter’s prediction:
A $100 base GTA 6 would be a bad idea for three big reasons:
- The real cash cow is GTA Online and its recurring revenues, so limiting GTA VI’s total addressable audience at launch to make a quick buck wouldn’t be smart. Let’s also not forget there’s a cost-of-living crisis happening globally.
- Rockstar needs to move players from GTA 5 and a higher floor for the switching cost would limit the GTA5-to-GTA6 player acquisition. Players not budging from GTA 5 is probably one of GTA VI’s biggest threats, one GTA hasn’t really faced before. After all, live services are mostly zero-sum in today’s oversaturated attention economy. Grand Theft Auto VI isn’t just competing against competitors’ games, it’s competing with TikTok, Netflix, and even its predecessor.
- Rockstar can easily charge $100 (hell, $120) for a higher-tier edition of GTA VI with a week of early access, maybe with a shark card thrown in. Players with the disposable income to pay that will pay it. It’s the best of both worlds, and it’s the norm for AAA games these days. While ”higher price = more revenues” makes sense on first glance, it just doesn’t make sense from a business perspective when we zoom out a little.
And yes, GTA is an all-time top-grossing media property. GTA 5 alone has sold 215 million copies and counting. GTA 5 sold 358 K copies on PlayStation last month alone.
So while Rockstar could charge $100 for the base version of GTA VI and the market could easily bear that price, it really shouldn’t charge more than it needs to. Rockstar is a smart company with a lot of decision power for a developer under a publisher. I think they’ll make the right call and give the base edition an $80 price tag.
It definitely seems like the most sensible choice. If Rockstar (or, rather, parent company Take-Two Interactive) charged $100, it would cause a ruckus throughout the industry, and no doubt some groups would call for boycotts of the product. Sure, an intellectual property as large as Grand Theft Auto wouldn’t be affected in any significant way, but why spoil what is otherwise destined to go down as the biggest entertainment launch in history?
GTA VI is currently scheduled to debut on May 26, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X. A PC version is inevitable, but is likely to keep fans waiting at least a few months, if not even longer.
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