GTA 6 may not cost ₹9,000 at launch, and it could be cheaper. Here’s why

GTA 6 may not end up costing $100 ( ₹9,000) after all, thanks to GTA Online.

Earlier this year in 2025, there were rumours that Rockstar’s GTA 6, which is arguably the most anticipated video game ever, could cost around $100, which would be a lot more than the usual $69.99 price tag that most AAA games launch at on the latest consoles like the PS5 and the Xbox Series X and S. But now, a former Rockstar employee has come forward and said that this might not be the case after all.

Lucia Caminos in GTA 6 (Rockstar)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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“I think that they probably won't do that because although they haven't said anything about it either, they will have a GTA 6 online component and they'll be thinking we want the biggest user base we possibly have,” Obbe Vermeij, who was previously the technical director at Rockstar North, told GamesHub.

He added, “I think they're just going to make it a regular-priced game and then make the money on the back-end in the years to come.”

Why this makes sense

If you think about it, GTA Online, which launched alongside GTA V, has continued to generate money for Rockstar and Take-Two. It continues to drive sales for the company, and there is still a large user base for GTA Online. Rockstar keeps releasing new updates for GTA Online, which helps keep the experience fresh. While this brings in new opportunities for the company to earn money, it is likely this very model that has Rockstar excited and could influence the company to keep the cost of GTA 6I in check. GTA Online will be a component and is expected to fetch significant revenue for the company in the long term.

Reports suggest that GTA Online, as of August, was bringing in 18.3 million monthly active users. This is despite it being almost 12 to 13 years since its launch in September 2013.

When is GTA 6 launching?

GTA 6 has experienced a delay for the second time, and the game is now set to launch on November 19, 2026, instead of May 26, 2026. This means users will have to wait for almost another year from now to get their hands on GTA 6.