Video Game Industry Would Have Difficulty Selling Games for $80 if GTA 6 Cost $70, Bank of America Says

Bank of America securities analyst Omar Dessouky has called for Rockstar Games to price Grand Theft Auto 6 at $80 instead of the industry-standard $70, arguing that doing so would benefit the entire gaming sector. Speaking at the Interactive Innovation Conference (iicon) in Las Vegas, Dessouky contended that GTA 6, poised to be the largest entertainment launch in history, sets a crucial pricing precedent for the industry.

According to Dessouky’s analysis, if GTA 6 launches at the current $70 price point, other developers will struggle to justify charging $80 or more for their own games. By setting a higher baseline with GTA 6, Take-Two would make it easier for the industry to collectively shift toward higher prices, which Dessouky frames as necessary given rising game development costs. The analyst argues it would be “in Take-Two’s self-interest, as a publisher and partner to many developers, to raise the price point for the entire industry.”

The $80 price point is not unprecedented—Nintendo’s Mario Kart World on Switch 2 launched at that price, and Microsoft initially attempted to price The Outer Worlds 2 at $80 before adjusting course. However, Take-Two executives have not endorsed the $80 recommendation, instead emphasizing their commitment to offering great value and noting that game prices haven’t substantially increased relative to inflation in recent years. The GTA 6 pricing question remains unresolved as Rockstar and Take-Two continue to keep their final decision private.

Video Game Industry Would Have Difficulty Selling Games for $80 if GTA 6 Cost $70, Bank of America Says

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