Many have questioned whether GTA 6’s rumored price is fair value for a massive game or a slippery slope toward industry-wide price hikes.

Popular streamer xQc has stepped into the heated debate over Grand Theft Auto 6's rumored $100 price point, defending Rockstar Games' potential pricing decision despite widespread criticism from the gaming community. It seems like everyone, ranging from analysts, other developers, streamers and fans have a great deal of opinions over what is just speculation.

Yesterday, the former pro Overwatch player responded to online backlash by pointing out what he sees as hypocrisy among gamers in a tweet that reads, " Gamers will buy 5 early access, half-baked $140 games and sprinkle $300 worth of skins in a year, but when a AAA company goes all out and takes their time to make the most anticipated polished product we know they can make, suddenly $100 is too much? Stop talking."

The rumored price point emerged after Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter suggested Take-Two Interactive might aim for a "previously unheard of price point" for the highly anticipated title. Pachter speculated that the company could justify the premium by including substantial in-game currency for GTA Online, essentially bundling value into the higher price tag.

As expected, the gaming community remains sharply divided on the issue. Some fans agree with xQc's assessment, with several pointing out that for a GTA title, $100 is worth paying. Critics, however, remain skeptical, and with good reason. One X user articulated how this might set a bad precedent for other developers to price their games at $100, yet they don't provide the same entertainment value that GTA does.

Another user went ahead to criticize xQc for having an opinion on this, stating, "I don’t think you can really have an opinion on this when you’re a multi millionaire. It’ll be an issue for lower income people who struggle to even afford AAA games at their current price. It only takes one game at a higher price for the industry to follow."

Beyond the immediate reaction to GTA 6's rumored price, analysts warn that such a move could reshape pricing across the entire gaming industry. Matthew Ball, CEO of investment advisory company Epyllion, noted that the video game industry is experiencing declining growth, and a $100 GTA 6 could provide justification for other publishers to raise their prices across the board.

According to Gizmodo, Michael Pachter suggested that Take-Two's strategy could involve closer integration between GTA 6's single-player experience and GTA Online, which continues to be a massive revenue generator nearly 12 years after GTA V 's release. After all, the online component has reportedly generated over $9.54 billion since launch.

Industry insiders point out that game development costs have skyrocketed - without asking why or examining how much goes into actual development and how much into marketing - while base prices have remained relatively stagnant. Pachter estimated that GTA 6's development could cost between $500 million and $1 billion, primarily in salaries for the thousand-plus developers who have worked on the title. The ones not laid off, at least.

Michael Douse, publishing director at Baldur's Gate III developer Larian Studios, has previously weighed in, citing that game prices haven't kept pace with inflation, making it difficult to properly compensate developers. That said, he was quick to acknowledge that this isn't the sole reason for the industry's current challenges.

As of now, Take-Two and Rockstar have remained silent on official pricing, with these figures being purely speculative.