Developers’ Salaries Are Being Taken as GTA 6 Budget — But That’s Not the Case
today at 21:46
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0UK authorities have released official financial documentation for Rockstar Games local branches (five studios in total) for the past fiscal year (ending March 2025). The report includes key accounting figures, such as staff salary expenses. This is standard business practice — such documents are made publicly available every year.
This time, however, users decided to calculate the total amount spent on staff over six years, from 2019 to 2025. The result exceeded $2 billion (which is not all that much). Some were quick to label this figure as the budget of GTA 6, but that’s simply not accurate.
First, the calculations do not include payments to employees in offices located in the United States, Canada, Australia, and India (where the largest share of staff is based). This means the data is already incomplete.
Second, salaries are not solely tied to the development of Grand Theft Auto VI. During this period, several re-releases of GTA 5 were launched, along with numerous updates for GTA Online. Red Dead Online was also actively supported, and work may have begun on yet-unannounced projects. In addition, Rockstar’s structure includes roles that only indirectly contribute to game development, such as HR and marketing teams.
Third, the development of Grand Theft Auto VI is not solely tied to salaries. It also includes expenses like music licensing, as well as planning and executing promo campaigns.
That said, it doesn’t rule out the possibility that significantly more than $2 billion has been spent on GTA VI.
This time, however, users decided to calculate the total amount spent on staff over six years, from 2019 to 2025. The result exceeded $2 billion (which is not all that much). Some were quick to label this figure as the budget of GTA 6, but that’s simply not accurate.
Second, salaries are not solely tied to the development of Grand Theft Auto VI. During this period, several re-releases of GTA 5 were launched, along with numerous updates for GTA Online. Red Dead Online was also actively supported, and work may have begun on yet-unannounced projects. In addition, Rockstar’s structure includes roles that only indirectly contribute to game development, such as HR and marketing teams.
Third, the development of Grand Theft Auto VI is not solely tied to salaries. It also includes expenses like music licensing, as well as planning and executing promo campaigns.
That said, it doesn’t rule out the possibility that significantly more than $2 billion has been spent on GTA VI.
