GTA 5 Development Cost vs. GTA 6 Budget: A Massive Increase

Despite being released in 2013, Grand Theft Auto 5 was still a costly game to produce. As GTA 6 approaches, analysts have disclosed the staggering amount that Rockstar is investing in its development.

Since the release of its first trailer in December 2023, GTA 6 has generated unprecedented levels of hype among players. Fans have been actively scouring for any tidbits of information available. One intriguing aspect of game production is the significant financial investment made by companies. As seen with GTA V’s record-breaking map size, it is intriguing to discover the cost of developing such expansive gaming experiences, with the upcoming game set to surpass its predecessor.

Regrettably, Rockstar is keeping their expenditures under wraps, but experts have utilized their knowledge to estimate the amount of money invested in the world’s most renowned gaming franchise– and it will surely leave you astounded.

Rockstar

Rockstar are spending a huge amount on GTA 6.

GTA 5 Production Costs

According to financial services firm Sterne Agee, the development cost of GTA 5 was $137.5 million. It is estimated that the total cost of the game, including marketing expenses ranging from $69 million to $109.3 million, came to a total of $246.8 million for the company.

What is the budget for GTA 6?

According to analysts, the budget for Grand Theft Auto 6 is predicted to be $2 billion, which covers all costs associated with the game’s development, marketing, and release. This figure far surpasses the budget for Grand Theft Auto 5.

For a visual representation, the graph below illustrates the significant difference in budget between GTA 6 and its predecessor.

A bar graph showing the difference between GTA 5 and 6's budgets — dexerto

Times GTA 5’s budget by eight.

To fully understand the gravity of this situation, let’s examine the three priciest games in history. According to reports, Modern Warfare 3 had a budget of $1 billion, Red Dead Redemption 2 cost $540 million, and Cyberpunk 2077’s expenses are estimated at $436 million. To put that into perspective, the combined budgets of all three games is still less than what Rockstar is projected to spend on their upcoming release, Grand Theft Auto 6.

In anticipation of the release of GTA 6 in 2025, Rockstar is making a substantial investment in the game. This investment is expected to be profitable, given that GTA 5 has generated nearly $8 billion in revenue since its launch 11 years ago.

The majority of Take-Two Interactive’s (parent company of Rockstar) revenue in 2023 is expected to come from in-game purchases and subscriptions such as GTA+. This suggests that the developer will continue to heavily rely on this model, potentially resulting in Grand Theft Auto 6 surpassing the impressive earnings of GTA 5.