Rockstar Says GTA 6 Didn’t Cost $1.5 Billion To Make, But Won’t Reveal The Real Number
Rockstar Games has pushed back against a widely circulated claim that Grand Theft Auto VI cost $1.5 billion to develop—the equivalent of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa skyscraper’s construction budget. In a statement to Bloomberg, Rockstar’s head of publishing Jennifer Kolbe denied the figure, calling it inaccurate. However, the company has declined to disclose the game’s actual development cost.
The $1.5 billion rumor appears to have originated from a July 2025 Gulf News article and subsequently spread across gaming media. Despite Rockstar’s denial, the game is still widely regarded as likely the most expensive video game ever made, reflecting the massive scale of modern AAA game development.
GTA 6 is set to launch in November after years of development across multiple studios. The project notably employed a Los Angeles-based division dedicated exclusively to NPC creation, underscoring the complexity and resource intensity required for such an ambitious title. While Rockstar’s refusal to confirm the exact budget fuels continued speculation about the game’s true development costs, the secrecy itself signals the enormous investment behind what is shaping up to be one of the industry’s most significant releases.