Despite the lack of officially revealed information from Rockstar, a huge amount of discussion is still being had aroundGrand Theft Auto 6, with the anticipation surrounding the game reaching a fever pitch as its intended late 2025 release window draws near. Despite the massive expectations that surround the project giving way to a lot of excitement and positive sentiment, there are some leaked and heavilyrumored aspects ofGTA 6that are already drawing some apprehension.
One of the most vocal early concerns regardingGrand Theft Auto 6is its rumored price, with many being under the impression thatGTA 6is set to rewrite the standards of what AAA games will charge going forward, to the detriment of the consumer. These lofty rumored price points seem like bad news at first glance, but one leading explanation for them points to this price being reflective of a bundle ofGTA 6and its online mode, which could launch as its own standalone release. This bundled price would suggest cheaper individual price points between both entities, potentially being good news for players who stick solely to the single-player or online offerings of theGrand Theft Autofranchise.
There May Be a Silver Lining to Grand Theft Auto 6’s Worrying Price Rumors
The potential pricing ofGrand Theft Auto 6has been a lingering shadow on the project for some time now, with many fans worrying that the supposed scale of the project could warrant a heftier sum outside of the industry standard. It is no secret thatGrand Theft Autocurrently stands as one of the most successful franchises in the gaming industry, with2013’sGTA 5currently standing as the most profitable piece of entertainment media ever made.
WithGTA 6having the looming task of surpassing the standards of its predecessor, it is clear to see why rumors of a hefty price tag have circulated for so long, with the most recent high-profile rumors and leaks for this topic suggesting thatGrand Theft Auto 6may come at a $100 retail price point. This could have a major impact on the pricing of other AAA titles going forward, although one theory attempts to offer a more grounded explanation of where this figure might actually come from.
A lot ofGTA 5’s success over the past decade-plus is thanks to its multiplayer mode,Grand Theft Auto Online, which has such individual value that Rockstar released it as its own standalone game in 2022. This split between core single-player and multiplayer has proven to be quite fruitful, with the expectation currently being thatRockstar will splitGTA 6and its own online mode into two separate releases from the very outset of the upcoming game’s life cycle.
Grand Theft Auto Onlineis reported to have generated $500 million in 2022 alone, being a testament to just how fruitful the release has been for Rockstar over the years.
A Single-Player and Online Bundle Could Explain GTA 6’s Price Rumors
This would then suggest that the leaked $100 price tag forGrand Theft Auto 6may actually be a combined price for a bundle ofGTA 6’s story mode and its separate online release, with it also being theorized that a few months may pass betweenthe launch ofGTA 6and its online counterpartto allow the game’s single-player to have more of a direct and uncontested impact. This would suggest thatGTA 6and its online mode could be cheaper than expected as standalone purchases, playing into the hands of players who want to solely focus on either one of these different gameplay experiences.
Of course, this still seems like bad news for the many fans who want to enjoyGTA 6’s story as well as its online mode, with it seeming likely that two separate purchases may be needed to have full access to both of them. The $100 price tag forGrand Theft Auto 6is still unconfirmed and can be explained by a variety of theories, yet at the very least, it seems as if a two-game bundle could be better news compared to the worries thatGTA 6by itself could be pricedat this industry-shaking figure.
