There has been a lot of talk about what the final price of GTA VI will be, as some analysts have even proposed a high-end $100 launch price tag. As the title of the document suggests, however, it brings forward a compelling, data-driven argument for pursuing a different approach, and all backed up by new data from games industry analyst firm MIDiA Research. According to the firm’s new report titled “The winning formula for Grand Theft Auto VI,” the best GTA VI price for the highest sales potential and total revenue is the industry-standard $69.99.
MIDiA Research surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. consumers to arrive at the optimal price point for GTA VI, using the Gabor-Granger method. The results directly oppose the speculated $100 price tag for GTA VI, actually claiming that this price point would lower unit sales and total revenue. The $70 price tag, however, seems just tuned to consumer expectation and so calibrates the game for maximum commercial value.
This data shows that consumer is acutely concerned by the price of GTA VI. If the GTA VI price was $49.99, 79% of interested consumers said they would “definitely” or “probably” buy the game. At a hypothetical price of GTA VI at $149.99, that figure dropped to a paltry 16%. However, although superfans exhibited almost twice as much interest in buying at that $99.99 GTA VI price point (9% vs. 5% for average consumers), it simply did not offset the huge decline in overall demand.
Based on the suggested price for GTA VI of $69.99, MIDiA Research estimates that 8.6 percent of the U.S. adult population would buy the game. That feels great meaning 22.9 million records sold and an estimated $1.6 billion money in coffers, the can also shows the power of the right price of the GTA VI.
Wrote Perry Gresham, MIDiA Research’s Head of Data and co-author of the report: “Based on our research, it is our [opinion] that GTA VI will earn more at standard price of $69.99 than at the much-debated $100.” Still, for something like $100 they would be leaving bucks on the table. If on the other hand, a price is below the optimum, increasing price leads to increased revenues; a fare above the optimum reduces not only unit sales, but steady-state revenues as well.”
Co-author and MIDiA Games Analyst Brandon Sutton also echoed this sentiment and commented, “With 59% of consumers, mind you, capable of mustering some modicum of interest in purchasing GTA VI, it’s not hard to see why its notoriety also makes it the ideal case to start getting a handle on consumer expectations when it comes to video games pricing.”
Just a reminder: Grand Theft Auto VI is set to release in May 2026 and it’ll be interesting to see what Rockstar’s final GTA VI price is.
