GTA 6 Release Date Window, $100 Price Speculation, And Everything We Know

Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular and best-known franchises in gaming and expectations are high for the next entry in the series. The first and only GTA 6 trailer was released in December 2023, and the game itself is slated for sometime in Fall 2025. As rumored, the game returns to Vice City. Hopes and expectations are understandably incredibly high for GTA 6, and some experts say the game, should it be the success everyone expects it to be, could help lift the video game industry overall in 2025.

First trailer is out now

The first trailer has arrived for GTA 6, and you can watch it above. It provides a glimpse at what to expect in Rockstar's return to Vice City, a stand-in for Miami. The trailer uses the Tom Petty song "Love Is a Long Road," and some believe the lyrics might contain clues about the story. This was described as Trailer 1, so fans can expect another trailer to come at some point in the future. Many thought Rockstar would release Trailer 2 at some point in 2024, but the year came and went without Rockstar saying one word about the game, let alone releasing a new trailer, screenshots, or anything else.

Price point rumors

According to researcher Matthew Ball, there are some in the market that believe Rockstar and Take-Two could charge $80 or even $100 for GTA 6, and this could trigger a wave of other developers to raise prices as well. Whether or not this happens, though, is an open question. As for Ball, he believes the game will launch at $70. As a matter of context and perspective, "GTA 4 was priced at $90 in 'real terms,' with GTA 5 costing $83," Ball said.

Ball added, "Your rent is up, movie tickets have doubled, minimum wage, Spotify, Netflix, bus fare, gas, etc. Indeed, nearly all other categories are *up* not just flat in real terms, while games are at record lows."

He went on to say: "Rockstar's costs shouldn't isn't sufficient to set the price, but the argument games should be the only thing to never adjust for inflation (and thus be, in the strictest terms, *worth less* every year) is not healthy either, or a good argument IMO."

$3 billion in year one

According to DFC Intelligence, GTA 6 could sell 40 million copies and earn more than $3 billion in its first year alone, based on sales of the game and microtransactions.

"We think GTA 6 will do a better job generating revenue right out of the gate. So first-year sales are forecasted at a modest 40 million units with total unit sales going to 100 million by the end of year five," Cole said. "Note that the game is forecasted to launch new versions as new consoles release and PC version comes. This timing is somewhat uncertain but is why there will be bump somewhere around years three or four."

To be clear, no new Xbox or PlayStation consoles have been announced, but there are already reports about the PlayStation 6, while rumors suggest the next Xbox console could include a handheld component. Nintendo is expected to release a new console in 2025, but whether or not GTA 6 shows up for it remains to be seen. GTA 5 was not released on the Switch. As for a PC edition of GTA 6, it is expected to be released after the game arrives for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

GTA 6 earning a mountain of money would be one of the least-surprising pieces of news in video game history. After all, it's the sequel to one of the world's most popular video games, and hype for the open-world title is already massive and continues to grow.

For comparison, GTA 5 earned $1 billion in revenue after just 72 hours on sale back in September 2013. This did not include any GTA Online revenue, either, as GTA Online did not release until October 2013. A major unknown about GTA 6 is what it could offer in terms of an online experience, and what might happen to the existing GTA Online when GTA 6 comes out. GTA Online is, of course, a huge money-maker and it's expected that GTA 6 will have a significant online element to help drive ongoing revenue.

Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick told FT that he would "never claim victory before it occurs." However, Zelnick said he feels confident that Rockstar Games will release "something absolutely phenomenal."

A long, long wait

GTA 6, if it does indeed release in 2025, will come out more than a decade after GTA 5 debuted in 2013. It's been a long, long wait--even Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has acknowledged the lack of GTA 6 news has been frustrating. He said developers at Rockstar Games are trying to deliver something unexpected with GTA VI, even if that takes time.

"Our teams are focused on what's new that you haven't even thought about. You thought you were anticipating this thing but this is way bigger and way better and more exciting and more beautiful than you could have possibly thought of," he said.

Zelnick also said he understands that fans have become "a little frustrated" as Rockstar works in secrecy on GTA VI. But he said Take-Two's philosophy is to "wait for a title to be ready" before releasing it.

"I think [GTA VI] will be extraordinary and worth waiting for," he said, adding that he expects GTA VI to be "breathtaking." Of course, part of Zelnick's job is to hype his company's products and use all kinds of marketing speak and buzzwords to get people excited, so hearing him say all of this is no surprise.

Another noteworthy tidbit from the interview is that Zelnick said he is aware of the GTA VI memes about "We got ___ before GTA VI." He said, "I've seen some of those."

Who's developing GTA 6?

Grand Theft Auto 6 is in development at Rockstar Games. Rockstar North, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, is leading the game's development, but these days, Rockstar's entire network of studios is known to work collectively on the same project, not unlike how development on Call of Duty is distributed between teams. Rockstar's latest big game, Red Dead Redemption II, was developed by multiple teams, and that'll be the case once again with GTA 6.

Rockstar mandated that developers return to the office in April 2024 to close out production on the game and to bolster security and productivity. Not all staffers are happy about this, though, and some have said mandating working in the office is a bad thing for a variety of reasons.

GTA 6 release date

Grand Theft Auto VI will be released in Fall 2025 across PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. There has been no mention of a release on PC, though a PC port is expected sometime after launch. However, basically every Rockstar Games project in the past 10 years has been delayed beyond its originally assigned date, so it would be a break from tradition if the game is not delayed. That being said, as part of Take-Two's latest earnings briefing, management doubled down and re-confirmed the Fall 2025 release window for GTA VI.

Impact of SAG-AFTRA strike

The actors' union SAG-AFTRA called a strike on video game projects on July 26, and many titles are potentially impacted by the work stoppage. However, GTA VI is not among them.

Setting and Story

Grand Theft Auto VI is set in the state of Leonida, which is home to Vice City AKA Miami. Rockstar has said GTA VI will deliver the "biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet." The company went on to say the game will "push the limits of what's possible in highly immersive, story-driven open-world experiences."

Not much is known about the story thus far, but we do know it will feature the characters Lucia and a man rumored to be named Jason. They appear to be lovers who enjoy doing heists together. The trailer also suggests that Lucia spent time in prison.

Details from the trailer

The announcement trailer features the Tom Petty song "Love Is A Long Road," and it's not Petty's first song for GTA, as the late Florida-born musician also lent "Runnin' Down A Dream" to GTA: San Andreas.

Players will seemingly get to visit beaches, swamps, and other waterways in Leonida, as well as the bustling metropolis of Vice City itself. The trailer shows off big crowds, dogs, impressive hair physics, and some kind of in-game social media platform. There are strip clubs, night clubs, and concerts in the game, as well as dogs and all manner of wildlife.

Take a look at the trailer for yourself to get a glimpse at what to expect from GTA VI and its new version of Vice City.

No Troy Baker

Prolific video game voice actor Troy Baker has confirmed that he will not voice the male lead in Grand Theft Auto VI, a character rumored to be named Jason. Rockstar Games has made no official announcements about the cast for GTA VI, so we don't know who voices Jason or Lucia.

Expect it to be $70

Take-Two was one of the first publishers to start charging $10 more for big new releases, and one would have to imagine this will continue with GTA 6. Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick recently said the company has seen "no pushback" against the $70 price point, so you can safely expect that GTA 6 will carry this premium price point as well.

The big leak

In September 2022, Rockstar suffered a massive leak of the next GTA game, with numerous screenshots and early footage of the game posted online. Rockstar responded to the leak and said work would continue "as planned" on GTA 6, but parent company Take-Two's share price took a hit after the leak. Take-Two management also stared that the leak was "really frustrating and unfortunate," but ultimately that it would not affect the company's bottom line.

It later came to light that the person said to be responsible for the hack that led to the leak was a teenager on bail in a hotel room using an Amazon Fire Stick.

"Something you've never seen before"

Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick is known for letting Rockstar speak for itself, but he did share some words recently on GTA 6. He said Rockstar is seeking "nothing short of perfection," and that the aim is for GTA 6 to be "something you've never seen before."

"I think that's the challenge that the folks at Rockstar face every time that there is a new iteration of Grand Theft Auto. It needs to be something you've never seen before," Zelnick said. "And it needs to reflect the feeling that we have about Grand Theft Auto--that's a big challenge for the team. Rockstar's answer is seek perfection. Seek nothing short of perfection, and we'll get there."

Former lead designer Ben Hinchliffe said in an interview that GTA 6 will blow you away and that the team at Rockstar has once again "raised the bar" for the popular series.

What happens to GTA Online?

Grand Theft Auto Online has a big, dedicated fanbase of active players, so many are wondering what's going to happen to the game when GTA VI comes out. Rockstar has not yet provided any detail around that, however, but keep checking back for more.