40% of Surveyed Gamers Call $100 or £100 a Fair Price 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. Forty percent of respondents considered $100 in the US or £100 in the UK a fair price for the next Grand Theft Auto.

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 respondents expect to spend less on other games during the launch window as they head to Vice City.

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 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.