According to video game business analyst Ben Thompson, Grand Theft Auto 6 is the “last great game” we’ll get before AI tools take over development.
READ MORE: The best games to play while you wait for ‘Grand Theft Auto 6’
Grand Theft Auto 6 has taken more than 13 years to make and, when it launches on November 19, will become the most expensive video game ever made.
Pre-orders went live last month. The standard edition will cost $79.99 while the ultimate version of Grand Theft Auto 6 will set you back $99.99. However, according to business analyst Ben Thompson, that’s far too cheap.
HOT TAKE from @benthompson: Rockstar is charging *way too little* for GTA 6, the $80 price tag is “ridiculous”
Ben: “They should be charging like $200 for this game! GTA 6 is like, the last great game.”
“It was mostly all made pre-AI. It is the pinnacle of AAA craftsmanship.… pic.twitter.com/rkfc68pDVZ
— TBPN (@tbpn) July 8, 2026
“Rockstar is charging way too little for this game,” Thompson told TBPN. “They should be charging like $200 for this game. Grand Theft Auto 6 is the last great game. It was mostly all made pre-AI. It is the pinnacle of AAA craftsmanship. Years and years and years of blood, sweat and tears. To the extent where you have Twitter analysts counting cigarette butts outside Rockstar’s offices to see how much crunch they are in right now.”
“I feel compelled to buy GTA 6, just in honour of it existing,” he added. “Even if I don’t know if I’m ever going to play it, I’d be happy to pay $200. $80 is ridiculous. They should charge more.”
Strauss Zelnick, boss of publisher Take-Two Interactive, has claimed Rockstar Games haven’t used any AI in creating the long-awaited sequel to Grand Theft Auto 5.
“Generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building. Their worlds are handcrafted. That’s what differentiates them. They’re built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighbourhood by neighbourhood. They’re not procedurally generated, they shouldn’t be. That’s what makes great entertainment,” he told Games Industry.
He’s also expecting people to bunk off work to play GTA 6 on launch day. However, some indie stores are boycotting the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 due to the lack of a proper physical release. Instead of a disc, Rockstar is selling a code in a box. Other fans aren’t happy that several in-game stores are locked behind a $20 paywall.
In other news, Steve Buscemi has joined the cast of the live-action adaptation of Far Cry, alongside Rob Mac and Lizzie Caplan.
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