You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here
Leaked listings for Grand Theft Auto 6 suggest a brutal price hike might be on the horizon, with one retailer pegging the Xbox Series X edition at a staggering $125. Just when we thought modern gaming couldn’t get more expensive, the internet has decided to panic over placeholders that cost more than a weekly grocery shop.
Rockstar Games has remained notoriously tight-lipped about the specifics of their next crime simulator, but that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from straining its gears. Following Take-Two’s recent “highly confident” confirmed launch date of November 19, 2026, anxiety regarding the “GTA tax” has ramped up. We’ve already survived the PS5 price hike, so the community is understandably twitchy about further wallet abuse. With development costs ballooning, the fear isn’t just about a standard $70 tag anymore—it’s about how much further the industry thinks it can push us.
Highway robbery or placeholder panic?
The source of this latest bout of hypertension is a product page found on the retailer Loaded, which listed the Xbox version at a wince-inducing £91.86 (roughly $124). To make matters stranger, they also listed a PC version—something Rockstar hasn’t even confirmed exists yet—for around £62. As noted by GizmoChina, retailers often throw up placeholders to gauge interest, but that hasn’t stopped the community from spiraling.
While we occasionally see market forces drive price cuts elsewhere, Rockstar operates in a league of its own. One Reddit user grimly noted, “That’s about a month of average salary in my country,” while another suggested we’re just seeing “Switch 2 game prices” early. It is a mess of speculation, certainly, but given the hype, Rockstar probably knows they could charge admission just to watch the trailer again.
The cost of virtual crime
While ambitious titles like Crimson Desert are gunning for the open-world crown, GTA 6 remains the unmovable object of the industry. Analysts have long speculated that Take-Two might try to establish a new baseline for “AAAA” titles, leveraging the sheer demand for a return to Vice City.
If these GTA 6 price leak turns out to be accurate rather than just placeholder nonsense, we are looking at a grim new standard for premium entertainment. Until Rockstar decides to grace us with an official pre-order button, hold onto your wallets—Vice City is going to be expensive, assuming you can afford the ticket in.
About the Author
