Take Two CEO Says GTA 6 Could Have Cost More Than $80 but Rockstar Chose Value

Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says Rockstar Games had enough pricing power to charge even more for Grand Theft Auto VI, but ultimately decided that delivering greater value to players was more important than pushing the game's price higher. Speaking during an appearance on CNBC's Squawk Pod, Zelnick discussed the pricing strategy surrounding what is expected to become one of the largest entertainment launches of 2026.

Rockstar currently sells the Standard Edition for $79.99, while the Ultimate Edition costs $99.99. As previously covered when GTA VI preorders officially opened at $79.99, the decision avoided the widely feared possibility of GTA VI establishing a $100 standard price for major AAA releases. The official Rockstar Games store continues to list the game for its November 19, 2026 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.

Zelnick acknowledged that Take Two potentially could have pushed beyond the current $80 entry point because of the extraordinary demand surrounding GTA VI. However, he argued that the company's objective is to make consumers feel they received significantly more than what they paid.

"deliver always way more value to the consumer than what we charge."
— Quote by: Strauss Zelnick

Interestingly, players willing to spend more are already making themselves visible. Zelnick said preorders are currently leaning toward the more expensive edition, although he cautioned that this could simply reflect the most dedicated GTA fans being among the earliest customers. Rockstar officially calls this package the Ultimate Edition, priced at $99.99.

The confidence arrives alongside enormous expectations for Take Two. The company recently reiterated fiscal 2027 net bookings guidance of $8 billion to $8.2 billion and continues to position the November 19 launch of GTA VI as one of the central drivers of its record growth expectations.

GTA VI was probably one of the few games capable of testing a price substantially above $80 without immediately destroying demand. Rockstar instead appears to have chosen the safer long term strategy. $79.99 still raises the standard AAA entry price, while the $99.99 Ultimate Edition captures additional spending from the franchise's most committed audience.

The early preference for the Ultimate Edition also demonstrates why publishers increasingly rely on premium editions rather than forcing every player into a higher base price. GTA VI can effectively test how much consumers are willing to spend while keeping the standard game below the psychologically significant $100 mark.

Would you have paid more than $79.99 for GTA VI, or has Rockstar already reached the limit of what a standard AAA game should cost?