Take-Two has not disclosed Grand Theft Auto VI’s budget. The often-repeated $1–2 billion figure is unverified, so there is no reliable basis to rank GTA VI against a definitive list of the five most expensive games ever made. Available reports offer useful comparison points, but they cover different kinds of costs.
How much did GTA 6 cost to make?
The exact cost is not public. Take-Two’s FY2026 Form 10-Q names a planned release date of November 19, 2026, and says Grand Theft Auto products generated 12.4% of the company’s net revenue for the nine months ended December 31, 2025. It does not give GTA VI’s development or marketing budget. Take-Two’s filing is franchise and release context, not a cost disclosure.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
IRIPLEZO Grand Theft Auto V | $24.33 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Grand Theft Auto V (PS4) | $26.45 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition - PC [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fPlaA2F7L._SL160_.jpg)
|
Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Edition - PC [Online Game Code] | $29.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Grand Theft Auto V - Xbox 360 (Renewed) | $17.61 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Grand Theft Auto V | $47.00 | Buy on Amazon |
The $1–2 billion range repeated online is a rumor, not a confirmed budget. A 2026 PC Gamer article also discusses a $3.4 billion estimate attributed to newsletter writer Dan Dawkins. That is a commentator’s estimate, reportedly factoring in preproduction and Rockstar payroll—not a figure disclosed by Take-Two. A reported-cost comparison likewise labels the billion-dollar range a rumor, while PC Gamer’s coverage discusses the larger speculation.
These estimates may count different things: development, marketing, preproduction, ongoing support, or payroll across a company. Without a disclosed figure and a defined scope, none can establish how much the finished game cost.
#1 Best Overall
- STUNNING VISUALS — Enhanced levels of fidelity and performance with new graphics modes featuring up to 4K resolution, up to 60 frames per second, HDR options, ray tracing, improved texture quality, and more
- FASTER LOADING — Quicker access to the action as the world of Los Santos and Blaine County load in faster than ever before.
- ADAPTIVE TRIGGERS AND HAPTIC FEEDBACK — Feel every moment through the DualSense controller, from directional damage to weather effects, rough road surfaces to explosions, and more.
- TEMPEST 3D AUDIO — Hear the sounds of the world with pinpoint precision: the throttle of a stolen supercar, the rattle of neighbouring gunfire, the roar of a helicopter overhead, and more.
- Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the European version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.
Reported costs for other expensive games
The figures below are reported comparison points, not a verified ranking of the five most expensive games. Their accounting scopes differ, and the available sources do not establish that they are all audited, development-only totals.
| Game | Reported figure | What the figure represents |
|---|---|---|
| Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | $700 million | A total-cost figure reported in 2025 about the 2020 title; not established here as development-only. Reported comparison. |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | $640 million | A reported total in the same comparison; the source does not establish it as a clean development-only figure. Reported comparison. |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | $441.9 million | An aggregate production-cost figure that includes the base game and post-launch material, rather than launch development alone. Reported comparison; CD Projekt cost components. |
For Cyberpunk 2077, the comparison compilation attributes $174 million to development and $142 million to marketing in CD Projekt’s 2020 reporting. Those components should be kept separate from later updates and expansion spending; they do not by themselves explain the broader $441.9 million aggregate. The cost breakdown distinguishes the figures.
Rank #2
- Experience the world of Grand Theft Auto V like never before with the power of the PlayStation 4.
- Explore the City of Los Santos, the countryside and even the ocean.
- Play through an epic single player experience using three very different characters.
- Join your friends in GTA Online and see what trouble you can cause.
- Play golf, tennis, see a film or call someone and just hang out.
Why these figures cannot establish a top-five ranking
A fair comparison needs the same definition of “budget” for every title. A launch development budget is not equivalent to a total that includes marketing or post-launch content. Nor should spending accumulated by an ongoing live-service game be ranked alongside a single game’s launch costs without making that difference explicit.
- Development versus total production: Production totals may include costs beyond making the initial game.
- Marketing: Some reported figures include promotional spending; others may not.
- Post-launch content: Updates and expansions can increase a lifetime total beyond the cost of the launch release.
- Single title versus ongoing service: A long-running game’s accumulated operating costs are not directly comparable to one title’s launch budget.
- Source and accounting basis: A company disclosure, a media report, and an analyst estimate carry different levels of certainty and may define costs differently.
- Currency and year: Nominal dollars from different years are not inflation-adjusted equivalents.
The reported examples are therefore useful as context, not as a consistent league table. The figures are in U.S. dollars as reported; they are not presented here as inflation-adjusted amounts.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #3
- GRAND THEFT AUTO V When a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a terrifying psychopath land themselves in trouble, they must pull off a series of dangerous heists to survive in a city in which they can trust nobody, least of all each other.
- GRAND THEFT AUTO ONLINE Discover an ever-evolving world of choices and ways to play as you climb the criminal ranks of Los Santos and Blaine County in the ultimate shared Online experience.
- THE CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE STARTER PACK The Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack is the fastest way for new GTA Online players to jumpstart their criminal empires with the most exciting and popular content plus $1,000,000 bonus cash to spend in GTA Online - all content valued at over GTA$10,000,000 if purchased separately.
- This game will no longer support Windows 7 or 8 operating systems starting January 30, 2024.
Why Rockstar UK payroll does not reveal GTA VI’s budget
Rockstar Games UK Limited’s staff expenses cannot be treated as the game’s total cost. They cover wages at one company entity, include work beyond GTA VI, and exclude other Rockstar studios as well as non-wage expenses. A payroll figure therefore cannot establish the full development or marketing budget. A September 2026 review of the available records explains these limits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.So, is GTA 6 the most expensive game ever?
It may be exceptionally expensive, but the available evidence cannot establish its exact cost or place it reliably in an all-time top five. Take-Two has not disclosed a budget, and the public estimates use uncertain or potentially different cost definitions. A dependable ranking would require comparable figures with clearly stated scope—not repetition of an unverified estimate.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Used Book in Good Condition
Rank #4
- The biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world ever created and now packed with layers of new detail.
- Grand Theft Auto V blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game's three lead characters, playing all sides of the game's interwoven story.
- Grand Theft Auto V also comes with Grand Theft Auto Online, the dynamic and ever-evolving Grand Theft Auto universe for multiple players.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
