#GTA 6’s $2 billion improvement funds is simply wild hypothesis – Destructoid

For those who’re enthusiastic about GTA 6 and consider anybody who claims to have inside info, you’ve in all probability already fallen for the $2 billion funds rumor—an unconfirmed declare that’s been round for some time.

Since 2022, one of many many leaks surrounding GTA 6 has been the widespread however unverified declare that its improvement prices are near $2 billion. There are a number of causes to doubt this, apart from the apparent indisputable fact that neither Rockstar nor Take-Two has ever disclosed GTA 6’s funds. The sport remains to be in improvement, and the ultimate price will solely be recognized when it’s completed. However listed below are a couple of extra explanation why the thought of GTA 6 costing $2 billion doesn’t add up.

Different Rockstar video games by no means got here near even $1 billion

Adjusting for inflation in 2024, GTA V had an estimated whole price of round $333 million—$137 million for improvement and the remaining for advertising and marketing, in accordance with specialist estimates.

Scaling that up practically seven instances can be a large leap, even after GTA 6’s 9 years of improvement. Whereas prices have risen over time, Rockstar didn’t begin growing GTA 6 in 2025—earlier years of improvement would have been less expensive, making such an excessive funds enhance unlikely.

Crimson Lifeless Redemption 2 had over 2,000 folks engaged on it for seven years earlier than it was launched in late 2018, and its estimated funds was round $540 million in very pessimistic projections. Nonetheless, simply over half of a billion {dollars} and actually removed from two billion.

The costliest reside service video games haven’t hit $1 billion in improvement

Genshin Affect, developed by miHoYo, has been in steady improvement since 2020 and could possibly be one of the crucial costly video games ever made, with a complete estimated price of over $900 million. However that features each the preliminary improvement and 5 years of reside service updates. Even with all that, it’s nonetheless nowhere close to the rumored $2 billion for GTA 6.

For comparability, one other extraordinarily costly sport was Name of Obligation: Black Ops Chilly Conflict, which price round $700 million to develop—equal to $850 million by 2024 requirements. Activision, an organization greater than Rockstar, nonetheless didn’t come near a $1 billion whole funds.

Even when GTA 6’s whole funds was $2 billion, most of it could be advertising and marketing, not improvement

An enormous portion of a sport’s funds comes from advertising and marketing, and Rockstar hasn’t even begun its full advertising and marketing push for GTA 6. For instance, GTA V had an estimated advertising and marketing funds of $265 million. If Rockstar decides to spend $1 billion on advertising and marketing for GTA 6, which is feasible, it nonetheless wouldn’t imply the event price itself is $2 billion.

Advertising and marketing budgets are unpredictable and might be as massive as an organization needs them to be, however that cash doesn’t go into making the sport higher.

Even when Rockstar have been to spend near $1 billion on advertising and marketing, it’s nonetheless extremely unlikely that the sport’s precise improvement prices would add as much as one other $2 billion. A extra affordable estimate is that GTA 6’s whole funds, together with advertising and marketing, may method $1 billion, however not that the sport alone prices $2 billion to make.

The underside line: The $2 billion GTA 6 funds declare has no proof

Whereas it’s potential that, over time, GTA 6 may price Rockstar $2 billion in whole when you embody advertising and marketing, post-launch help, and GTA On-line updates, there is no such thing as a proof that its improvement alone has a $2 billion funds. There’s no affirmation that Rockstar has put aside that quantity or that it’s going to ever spend that a lot in whole.

As a substitute of specializing in wild funds rumors, it makes extra sense to be careful for Take-Two’s upcoming earnings stories and handle your expectations for GTA 6 when it launches in Fall 2025.