Grand Theft Auto 6 already carries an $80 price tag, but one financial analyst believes Rockstar Games should have charged far more. His comments have sparked fresh debate about game prices, developer working conditions, and the future of physical game releases.
Analyst claims GTA 6 is worth $200
During a TBPN podcast on July 8, Stratechery founder Ben Thompson shared his opinion on GTA 6’s pricing.
Thompson called GTA 6 “the last great game.” He argued that Rockstar Games is charging too little for its biggest release. According to him, the studio could have sold the game for $200 and still attracted millions of buyers.
TBPN host John Coogan described the statement as a “nuclear take.” The comment quickly spread across social media and gaming communities.
While few expect Rockstar to raise the price, the discussion shows how divided the industry has become over AAA game pricing.
Rockstar’s quality comes with criticism
Thompson praised Rockstar’s craftsmanship. However, he also suggested that creating a game on GTA 6’s scale likely required significant developer crunch.
His remarks arrived as the Rockstar Games Workers Union (RGWU) continued criticizing the studio. The union has accused Rockstar of payment issues, poor management, and crunch.
According to the RGWU, some UK employees reportedly have crunch written into their contracts. Other teams allegedly work under different conditions.
The union has also pushed for better pay. Previous negotiations resulted in wage increases for UK workers last October.
Digital-only release remains controversial
GTA 6 has also attracted criticism for another reason.
Rockstar will not ship the game on Blu-ray. Instead, retail buyers receive a box containing a digital download voucher for the PlayStation or Microsoft Store.
The decision has frustrated many players. Several developers have also spoken against the move.
CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski criticized the decision. The lead developer of Lords of the Fallen 2 also questioned the shift away from physical media. Both argued that it creates an uneven market for studios that still invest in disc releases.
Many fans remain concerned about ownership, preservation, and the ability to resell games.
GTA 6 is still expected to break records
Despite the controversy, analysts expect GTA 6 to become one of the biggest launches in gaming history.
The game’s $80 MSRP already sits above most modern AAA releases. GTA 5 launched for $60 in 2013. After inflation, that price equals roughly $86 in 2026.
Even so, GTA 6 is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in extra revenue compared to a $70 launch.
Digital sales also provide higher profit margins than physical copies. That makes Rockstar’s digital-first strategy even more valuable from a business perspective.
Whether players would ever accept a $200 game remains another question. However, the debate shows that AAA pricing continues to evolve as development costs rise.
