The question that has chased Grand Theft Auto VI for years, how much did it cost, still has no official answer, but Rockstar Games has at least pushed back on claims that it cost more than one of the most expensive buildings in the world ever built.
In a sweeping Bloomberg feature on the game's development, Rockstar's head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe shot down the rumor that GTA 6 cost more than the $1.5 billion spent building Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Rockstar still will not confirm a number though. It is only saying the game did not top the roughly $1.5 billion that skyscraper cost. We have covered how the budget may already outrun any movie ever made, which could very well still hold. The new information we have tells us its budget ceiling, not an exact figure.
Even with the rumor knocked down, the scale remains as staggering as ever. Bloomberg, which spoke to Rockstar's leaders for the piece, concluded that based on the sheer time and labor involved, GTA 6 is almost certainly the most expensive video game ever made. The development ran more than eight years and at one point the studio stood up a whole Los Angeles office of writers, producers and directors just to create the game's non-player characters, after internal projections came back, in one leader's word, "horrifying."
GTA 6 by the numbers
Figure | What Bloomberg reported |
|---|---|
The budget | No official number, and Rockstar denies it topped the $1.5 billion Burj Khalifa |
"Most expensive ever" | Bloomberg's assessment, based on the time and labor involved |
Development time | More than eight years |
Sales projection | 40 million copies and $3 billion-plus in the first four months |
GTA 5 sales | 230 million copies, the best-selling non-mobile game ever |
GTA Online revenue | About $500 million a year |
One number Rockstar still will not give is the budget.
The spending comes with projected returns to match. Bloomberg reported that some analysts expect GTA 6 to sell 40 million copies on PlayStation and Xbox and bring in more than $3 billion in its first four months. The game has history on its side too so these aren't just baseless projections. Grand Theft Auto V has sold 230 million copies, the best-selling non-mobile game of all time. The first GTA 6 trailer drew around 300 million views on YouTube.
GTA 6 giveaway
Win a full copy of GTA 6 Ultimate Edition.We're giving away full copies of GTA 6 Ultimate Edition in several draws through launch. Enter with your email, then join in once on the site. One entry per person.
Prize
A full copy of GTA 6 Ultimate Edition
Email first, then one site action during the draw window.
Beyond those upfront sales, the real play here is online. Grand Theft Auto Online still pulls in an estimated $500 million a year more than a decade after launch, Bloomberg noted, which makes it one of parent company Take-Two Interactive's most valuable products. A GTA 6 online mode is expected in 2027, so the figure that matters most to investors is what the game earns for years after launch.
So the budget mystery is not solved. Rockstar has only denied the Burj Khalifa comparison figure and left the rest of the budget to speculation. What is clear is the shape of the bet. GTA 6 arrives on November 19 as, by Bloomberg's measure, the costliest game ever made, chasing a payday that could clear $3 billion before spring. For a $70 to $80 game, the math behind it is anything but small.