New data suggests that the development cost of GTA 6 could significantly surpass previous estimates and exceed $3 billion, potentially making it the most expensive entertainment product in history.
According to official UK government financial filings related to Rockstar Games UK Limited, Rockstar North has already spent at least $2.1 billion on employee salaries since 2019. Many believe this period marks the start of the game’s full-scale development.
«I went and looked at some public documents filed on a UK government website detailing the financials of Rockstar Games UK Limited, and I discovered something interesting that might suggest Rockstar has invested even more than $2B into the game»
Based on the data, salary expenses increased year by year:
- From March 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020: £191M
- From March 31, 2020 to March 31, 2021: £223M
- From March 31, 2021 to March 31, 2022: £346M
- From March 31, 2022 to March 31, 2023: £316M
- From March 31, 2023 to March 31, 2024: £315M
- From March 31, 2024 to March 31, 2025: £282M
This totals at least £1.6 billion, or roughly $2.1 billion.
Importantly, these figures only cover Rockstar North, as the listed address corresponds to its Edinburgh office. This means expenses from other Rockstar studios around the world are not included.
For this reason, the estimate of a total budget exceeding $3 billion appears increasingly realistic. It would include not only salaries from additional studios but also marketing costs, technology investments, and final-stage development expenses.
The discussion around the budget intensified after a Reddit post compiled salary expenses since 2019, concluding that Rockstar has already spent around $2.1 billion on wages alone. Notably, this figure was previously believed by many fans to represent the entire budget of the game.
If these estimates prove accurate, GTA 6 could surpass major productions like Avatar and The Rings of Power, setting a new benchmark for the industry.
Fan reactions have been intense, with many shocked by the scale of spending:
- «GTA 6 is not just a game anymore. It is basically its own economy».
Others raised concerns about potential monetization:
- «Lots of monetizing to come for sure. Not just shark cards»
- «If they want to nickel and dime us for stuff like in-game clothes or other strictly single player aesthetic stuff, then I’m raw dogging the entire game with the starting clothes»
The discussion also touched on pricing, with some fans open to a $100 base game:
- «If they want to charge $100 for the base game, I’m in»
- «Considering it’s Rockstar, some of the best devs in the industry, working on the game for about 8 solid years, it’s probably going to have like 3 Ubisoft base games’ worth of content in it»
Analysts predict the game could generate over $2 billion on its first day and reach $7.6 billion within two months, allowing Rockstar to quickly recoup its investment.
Although the company has not officially confirmed the budget, the financial data already highlights the scale and complexity of the project. Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to launch around 2026 and could significantly influence the future of the gaming industry, particularly in terms of production scale and costs.
As a Reminder, NAVI and GSC Game World Owner Becomes Co-Owner of Mobile Company Burny Games.