GTA 6 should cost $200, according to a tech analyst

Analyst Ben Thompson says on the TBPN podcast that the $80 price tag for GTA 6 is "ridiculous" and that Rockstar should charge $200.

GTA 6 is once again at the center of the pricing debate, but this time the argument is the opposite of what it usually is: a tech analyst claims the game is too cheap. Ben Thompson, known for his Stratechery newsletter, put it bluntly on the tech podcast TBPN on July 8: the $80 that Rockstar will charge for GTA VI seems “ridiculous” to him, and in his opinion, the company should charge $200.

Note: This is neither a leak nor an official statement from Rockstar regarding the final price. It’s the personal opinion of an outside analyst, so take it as a podcast discussion, not as confirmed information.

Why does he say GTA 6 is worth $200?

Thompson isn’t just throwing this out there as a random quip. His argument is that GTA VI represents “the pinnacle of triple-A craftsmanship”: years and years of intensive development, with a level of production that, according to him, will never be replicated. The reason: it will be, in his words, "the last great game" made almost entirely before artificial intelligence becomes fully integrated into the development process.

The analyst went further and said he would pay the $200 even if he never got to play it, just for what the project represents. To reinforce the idea that development has been particularly grueling, he mentioned that some people were counting cigarette butts outside Rockstar’s offices to get a sense of the level of crunch surrounding the game’s production.

The reaction from his own podcast co-hosts

He didn’t escape the jokes even on his own show. His co-hosts on TBPN called the idea a “nuclear opinion” and joked that Thompson was going to be “canceled” for defending it in public, though they clarified they weren’t taking it too seriously.

Co-hosts John Coogan and Jordi Hays went even further in the opposite direction: they mocked those complaining about the price of GTA VI, asking outright if anyone really can’t afford to save up $80... spread out over a decade (the time that has passed since the release of GTA V).

A debate that comes at a bad time for Rockstar

Thompson’s opinion clashes head-on with the general sentiment of much of the community, which already considers $80 a high price for a video game—even if it is the most anticipated sequel in the history of the medium. Rockstar has not yet officially confirmed that price as final for all regions and editions, so it’s best to review what has been confirmed about GTA VI before taking anything for granted.

What’s interesting about Thompson’s comment isn’t so much whether he’s right, but what it highlights: the gap between how the tech industry values the cost of a AAA title and how the average gamer does—who already pays out of pocket for more than enough subscriptions, microtransactions, and special editions. In any case, GTA VI remains a hotbed of controversy even before it goes on sale. You can follow more news about GTA VI as the release date approaches.

Would you pay $200 for GTA 6 if that guaranteed this level of production, or do you think $80 is already enough?