Rockstar Quietly Hikes Prices on Older Hits Like GTA V & Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar Games might be testing the waters - or kicking the hornets' nest - as players found out that the award-winning studio started adjusting the pricing for some of its games on the PlayStation Store, including Grand Theft Auto V.

In an unexplained move, the publisher behind the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises has implemented substantial price hikes across multiple regions worldwide.

Players on Reddit first noticed the changes when browsing for Red Dead Redemption and its sequel, with some reporting price increases of more than £10 (approximately $13) for the original game and £5 ($6.50) for Red Dead Redemption 2 in the United Kingdom. What's more, the bundle combining both games also saw a significant markup.

What initially seemed like isolated incidents in the UK and Brazil has proven to be more widespread. These price adjustments actually began back in April but went largely unnoticed due to not being particularly wide-spread - however since then spreading is exactly what this phenomenon has been doing.

The price changes appear to follow no clear pattern, with some countries seeing dramatic increases while others experienced price reductions. Japan, Sweden, Norway, and South Africa are among the regions facing higher costs, while gamers in Mexico, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic are actually paying less for some of these titles. In the Czech Republic specifically, the price decrease only applies to Xbox versions, while PlayStation prices were already lower before this adjustment.

Beyond the Red Dead franchise, GTA V was also affected by the April price adjustments. Both the main game package and the standalone Grand Theft Auto Online experience now sport higher price tags in many regions . This is particularly notable considering GTA V is nearly a decade old, having first released in 2013, making it one of the oldest games to see a price increase rather than the usual discount that comes with age.

What's also interesting is that Grand Theft Auto V Expanded and Enhanced is fresh off a PlayStation Plus stint and is currently available on the Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.

Price increases typically affect new releases rather than games that have been on the market for years. Standard industry practice has generally been to decrease prices over time as games age, with occasional sales further reducing costs for consumers.

There's speculation that this is a calculated move done ahead of a potential announcement of some kind. It's also possible that Rockstar is testing price elasticity to gauge how much consumers are willing to pay for their beloved titles before the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 next year - alternatively, some more cynical fans think the price hike will be followed by a more publicized sale, to make it seem like a better deal.

Another theory gaining traction suggests the company is capitalizing on renewed interest in their back catalog. With excitement building around future Rockstar releases, many new players are looking to experience the company's older titles, potentially creating an opportunity to maximize revenue by increasing prices.

However, these are all guesses at this point. Rockstar has not released an official statement explaining the reasoning behind the changes or whether they represent a permanent shift in pricing strategy. If it's true that Rockstar is making their older games expensive (and if it's permanent), then GTA 6 is all but guaranteed to break past the $80 price point.

In the meantime, GTA fans will want to check out NaturalVision Enhanced, a mod for Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced on PC that brings the 2013 title's graphics close to GTA 6. In other news, Take-Two recently confirmed that it's planning to raise more funds by putting up a billion in stocks for sale. The company was also spotted removing references to its former DEI initiatives in its most recent financial fillings.