Nearly Half of Gamers Say They'd Pay $100 for GTA 6

A new survey of 2,000 gamers across the United States and the United Kingdom found that the average expected price for Grand Theft Auto 6 is $78, above the current AAA standard of $70, and below the $100 threshold that some industry experts believe the game should sit. However, it isn't the average that's the more surprising part of this survey. It's the part that 40% of respondents are willing to pay $100 to experience in the next Grand Theft Auto.

Four out of ten gamers surveyed believe that paying $100 for a single video game is fair. The study was commissioned by FirstLook, a player research platform used by EA, Krafton, Remedy, and Team17, and conducted by Sapio Research earlier this month. The sample was split evenly: 1,000 US respondents were asked about $100, and 1,000 UK respondents were asked about £100. All participants identified as active gamers who play at least a few times a month.

As you can see, 94% of those asked said they will buy GTA 6 this holiday season. We have covered extensively how every major publisher has already cleared the Q4 2026 release calendar. This validates that decision with hard numbers. Nearly a third of active gamers plan to spend their time enjoying Vice City and nothing else.

As for the "fair" price, well, let's clarify that bit to avoid confusion: the question asked was whether $100 is "fair." Fair is not the same as "willing to pay." Fair is not the same as "would purchase at that price." A person can believe $100 is fair for a game they expect for a game that will set a new "creative benchmark" in the entertainment industry, while simultaneously choosing to wait for a sale, buy a cheaper edition, or skip the purchase entirely because $100 exceeds their actual budget.

The gap between "this price is reasonable" and "I will pay this price" is enormous. The $78 average expected price is the more useful number. It tells you what the market believes GTA 6 will actually cost, and it sits precisely in the range that Strauss Zelnick has publicly signaled at iicon and in prior interviews. Here is how the $78 average compares to recent AAA pricing:

Mario Kart World at $80 on Switch 2 already broke the traditional $70 ceiling. Meanwhile, Bank of America analyst Omar Dessouky argued at iicon that GTA 6 should follow suit at $80 to give other publishers permission to raise prices. The survey's $78 average suggests the market has already mentally accepted a price above $70, even if 59% still balk at $100.

Here is what we think is actually going to happen based on everything Zelnick has said publicly and what the NBA 2K26 premium edition data already proved:

If this all pans out how we think it will, the base game will stay at $70 while the deluxe would hit $90 to $100 with early access and Grand Theft Auto Online currency. The we-hope-to-be-confirmed Collector's Edition will be the one that pushes past $100 for the audience that has no ceiling. With this tiered model, Rockstar captures the 40% who are comfortable at $100 without alienating the 59% who are not.

The survey is a snapshot of a market that has accepted GTA 6 as a generational event and is pricing it accordingly in their heads. Whether Take-Two Interactive prices the base game at $70 or $80 will be confirmed when pre-orders open. Four out of ten gamers think $100 is fair. This doesn't mean GTA 6 will cost $100. It means 40% of the audience has already decided the game is worth more than any game has ever cost, and they have not even seen gameplay yet.