GTA 6 pricing and cost comments causing concern

It’s no secret that GTA VI is the most highly anticipated video game there is and naturally, Rockstar Games and its parent company Take-Two Interactive are well aware of that fact. Sadly, despite the financial clout that this game brings, it could spell doom for hundreds if not thousands of employees.

When the first official Grand Theft Auto VI trailer dropped in December 2023 it smashed pretty much all YouTube records, especially with its first 24 hours garnering over 90 million views. At the time of writing, that debut GTA VI trailer currently has over a whopping 174 million views.

Check out the GTA VI trailer below!

During a recent live-streamed conference, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick not only spoke about the impact of the debut trailer for GTA VI and the anticipation of its big release but also plans to maximise company profits, the latter of which has caused much concern, which may extend far beyond capitalising on hype by increasing the RRP of Grand Theft Auto VI.

At this time, we can only speculate how Take-Two Interactive will maximise profits, but as previous events have so often taught us, it usually comes in the form of mass employee redundancies. As reported by TechRapter, during a Q&A session, Zelnick spoke of how excitement for GTA VI is much higher than its predecessor, GTA V.

“Our sense is that the anticipation is much higher. Umh, much, much higher. On the other hand, you know, 195 million units to date is nothing to sneeze at,” said the CEO. “So we stop short of making predictions about how the title will do, but clearly anticipation is running very, very high.”

Zelnick went on to discuss plans with company shareholders to maximise profits. “In terms of motivations and incentives, the financial incentives of everyone who works at this company are aligned with those of the shareholders,” he explained. “So we essentially have profit-sharing plans throughout the company at the operating level and at the senior level our compensation is driven largely by TSR [Total Shareholder Return].”

He continued: “Our goal is to align the interests of everyone who works here with the interests of the shareholders that keep us all pointing in the same direction. So you're right there. There is an inherent tension potentially between getting something to market and creating perfection, but this company errs on the side of perfection.”

Zelnick then went on to detail Take-Two Interactive’s cost-cutting plans which is the aspect that has caused a lot of unrest. “In terms of cost reduction, as I said and as you know, we have a three-part strategy that's supported us well, through thick and thin. That is first and foremost to be the most creative company, also to be the most innovative, and finally, always to be the most efficient company in the entertainment business and that's a big challenge and we mean it. And everyone here means it.”

“I think that it's time to take another look at efficiency and make sure that everyone is focused on the things are really matter and only the things that really matter, and put ourselves in a position where we have the opportunity for great operating leverage as these titles come to market and as the revenues flow through the system.”

While it doesn't take much insight to read between the lines, it’s still worth keeping in mind that Strauss Zelnick did not mention employee redundancies. That being said, when we hear company executives talking about maximising profits and appeasing shareholders, it often only means one thing, but I hope that I am wrong.

Grand Theft Auto VI is currently set to be released in 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. At the time of writing, a PC release hasn't been announced yet.