There's no doubt that Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto 6 is the most anticipated game of the year - and arguably even the decade too - yet rumors surrounding the potential price tag have began to worry many otherwise excited fans.
It's been over a decade since the last Grand Theft Auto game was released, and countless fans have been eagerly waiting further information for the upcoming sequel.
However, there has been little talk surrounding GTA 6 since the first (and only) trailer dropped at the end of 2023, despite consistent reconfirmations of the game's 'Fall 2025' release window.
This has understandably led to the circulation of rumors, primarily surrounding predictions for the exact date of launch, yet one particular prediction from an industry analyst surrounding the price has some fans concerned.
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While most games release around the $60 to $70 mark, with the latter considered the upper cap for pricing, expert analyst Matthew Bell has theorized that GTA 6 could be as expensive as $100 at launch, as reported by LADBible.
This would be an incredibly harsh price hike for most gamers, and even the somewhat conservative prediction of $80 would be a major bump that could open the floodgates within the industry.
What Bell argues though is that this price increase could 'save' the games industry, in a time that is dominated by ballooning budgets and significant employee layoffs across the board.
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GTA 5, for example, sold around 5,000,000 copies in its first three months so if its sequel matches this - and industry experts indicate that it will exceed these numbers - it would bank $500,000,000 in revenue as opposed to $350,000,000 with a $70 price tag.
The wider fan reaction has been split though, with some willing to fork up the cash, whereas others understandably wary of what it would indicate for the industry and its consumers.
"If GTA VI costs $100, I'll gladly pay it," outlines one user on X, adding "that doesn't mean Ubisoft, EA, or any other of these western bum-ass AAA studios are invited to the $100 table. Make better games first."
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It's hard to imagine that Rockstar would be the only company to jump on the trend though, especially if it proves successful for them, but other gamers aren't quite as convinced.
"This is your worst take," argues another user in the replies. "Doesn't matter how good a game is $100 is too much. Don't let corporations pull one on you."
Another adds that "if you buy in at $100 it just shows companies you're willing to do so and it will become the norm. GTA V has made near $9 billion off its online, I don't think they need to be charging $100."
It remains yet to be seen as to whether Rockstar and its publisher Take Two will indeed take the leap with a price increase, but it certainly would send shockwaves throughout the industry that would be hard to ignore.