Kingdom Come: Deliverance creator hopes GTA 6 will raise game prices

Warhorse Studios co-founder Martin Klima hopes the commercial success of Grand Theft Auto 6 will help other publishers raise prices for major games.

Klima said large-scale projects are becoming increasingly expensive, while studios are afraid to increase prices on their own. In his view, the industry needs new revenue sources.

GTA 6 price exceeds the usual level

Take-Two has confirmed an $80 price for the standard edition of GTA 6, $10 above the usual price of many major games. The $100 Ultimate Edition will include additional content.

In an interview with PC Gamer, Klima said he was not interested in the Grand Theft Auto series and did not plan to play GTA 6. He nevertheless wished Rockstar success, arguing that Rockstar and Take-Two are among the few companies able or willing to take such a step.

Game development keeps getting costlier

According to Klima, stronger computing capabilities have led players to expect larger projects, more complex mechanics and higher technical quality. Those expectations increase production budgets, while the game audience is no longer growing as quickly as before.

The developer also cited the COVID-19 pandemic, when an artificial demand surge was followed by layoffs and staff reductions, partly after companies expanded while expecting the market to keep growing.

There is currently no confirmation that other publishers plan to raise prices broadly after GTA 6 launches. Klima’s expectation rests on the possibility that a successful game at the new price would give the industry more confidence to follow the example.