"Rockstar got it right": Zelnick defends the $80 price and calls GTA 6 "an incredible bargain"
Take-Two's CEO has repeatedly defended the pricing, noting the company "could have made other pricing choices" given demand.
The $79.99 standard price makes GTA VI the poster child for the 2026 shift toward $80 flagship games. Strauss Zelnick has defended it on the record more than once, saying Rockstar "got it right", that Take-Two "could have made other pricing choices" given the hype, and describing the game as "an incredible bargain" for the entertainment value delivered.
He has also drawn a line between GTA VI at $80 and NBA 2K27 staying at $70, arguing the two products carry very different investment levels. Development cost is widely estimated at $1B to $1.5B, with some outlets going as high as $2B; Take-Two has only ever called it a multi-billion-dollar franchise investment without a specific number.
For context, GTA V cost roughly $265M to make and became the most profitable entertainment product in history. Whether $80 becomes the new normal will depend on how November 19 lands.