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Gamers may have to wait till 2026 to lay their hands on Grand Theft Auto VI as per industry analysts, but that’s not the only thing to be worried about. The current momentum with GTA VI (GTA 6) is so high that Take-Two/Rockstar might just capitalize on this and hike the game’s base price to $100. Even more concerning is the probability of other AAA titles following suit as well.
Analyst Matthew Ball of Epyllion in his State of Video Gaming in 2025 presentation predicts how GTA 6 might influence pricing in the video games industry. The analyst notes packaged video games have seen their prices getting lowered over the past 44 years in real dollar terms. On the contrary, other forms of entertainment such as movies, concerts, and Netflix have seen increased prices over decades.
This obviously does not bode well for the gaming industry, irrespective of studio size. Notwithstanding the fact that AAA games that cost $50 million to develop per title 15 years ago now incur expenses that run between $200 million to $500 million or more. Minecraft and GTA V remain the top two best-selling packaged games of all time in terms of unit sales.
The industry expects GTA VI to break the invisible $70 barrier of game pricing, with Take-Two’s flagship title expected to be retail anywhere between $80-$100 as hoped by game makers. While a $70 GTA 6 would be the cheapest ever GTA, Ball expects the title to be priced at $91 average.
This may prompt at least a $10 increase in game prices across the board, with $50 games moving up to $60, $60 to $70, $70 games increasing to $80, and so on.
Gamers — primarily those playing the AAA variety — might have to start adjusting their wallets if this projected trend becomes a reality. Remember, we are still talking about base prices, which means Deluxe and Premium editions could become even dearer.
The analyst also delves into aspects such as influence of generative and agentic AI in games, and how the success of the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck have renewed the prospects of handheld AA/AAA gaming.
Interestingly, while PC and console gamers are increasingly shifting to other forms of entertainment, Ball shows that PC gaming has actually grown 20% while console has stagnated since 2021.
This is attributed to several inherent benefits of the PC platform including a larger, compounding library with near-full backwards compatibility, multitasking abilities, availability of PlayStation exclusives on PC (albeit delayed) similar to Xbox, premium Roblox games, and rise of Windows-based gaming handhelds.
Though a cell and molecular biologist by training, I have been drawn towards computers from a very young age ever since I got my first PC in 1998. My passion for technology grew quite exponentially with the times, and it has been an incredible experience from being a much solicited source for tech advice and troubleshooting among family and friends to joining Notebookcheck in 2017 as a professional tech journalist. Now, I am a Lead Editor at Notebookcheck covering news and reviews encompassing a wide gamut of the technology landscape for Indian and global audiences. When I am not hunting for the next big story or taking complex measurements for reviews, you can find me unwinding to a nice read, listening to some soulful music, or trying out a new game.
