How Much Did GTA 5 Cost to Make?

Grand Theft Auto 5 is a game that has remained consistently popular for a decade, marking it as one of the most influential releases of all time. As the most recent installment to such an iconic franchise, the title prided itself upon its industry defining experience upon its release.

With the scale and detail of Grand Theft Auto 5 seriously impressing the industry in 2013 and beyond, some may be curious as to how much the game cost to create. Although Rockstar has more than recouped its investment in making GTA 5, the total expenditure of its development remains eye-watering to say the least.

Grand Theft Auto 5's Cost of Development

Grand Theft Auto 5 marked the end of a five-year wait for fans who wanted a fresh experience for the franchise. Following 2008's GTA 4, fans were promised an experience that would turn the franchise's core gameplay on its head and forever alter expectations. With Grand Theft Auto 4 boasting a budget of around $100 million to make, Rockstar's intention and ambition was clear from the outset of GTA 5's announcement.

With a game world three times larger than its predecessor and involving three times as many protagonists, the budget of Grand Theft Auto 5 was reflective of its huge scale. In all, reports state that Grand Theft Auto 5 cost a whopping $265 million to develop and publish. This includes the game's core budget of around $140 million, plus some staggering marketing costs befitting of such a release.

This total cost has seen Grand Theft Auto 5 be labeled as the most expensive game of all time, with the release perhaps owing its continued popularity to this. With GTA 5's large-scale story mode and its addictive online modes, it is clear that a serious amount of financial support was necessary in the game's development. Regardless, the benefits of this investment reaped dividends for Rockstar, which has enjoyed a commendable revenue stream since GTA 5's 2013 release.

Grand Theft Auto 5's Earnings and GTA 6's Potential Budget

Grand Theft Auto 6's Online Component Will Miss A Key Feature

As well as holding the title for one of the most expensive games of all time, GTA 5 also holds another prestigious accolade. Since its release, Grand Theft Auto 5 has amassed an estimated $1 billion in revenue. As early as 2016, GTA 5 sold as many as 65 million units, with this figure only increasing with each passing year.

Compared to its cost of development and publishing, Grand Theft Auto 5 still remains as a staggering overall example of success. Combining with its massive sales, GTA 5 has found continued success with its ever-popular Grand Theft Auto Online mode. Offering a range of in-game purchases, GTA Online is still a huge moneymaker that is showing no sign of slowing down.

Rockstar is already billing Grand Theft Auto 6 as a standard-setting release, much in the same way it did with GTA 5 a decade ago. With Take-Two interactive estimating billions in revenue in the coming years, it is likely that GTA 6 will be hoping to make the same strides as its predecessor. If the upcoming release follows the same patterns as Grand Theft Auto 5, then it very well may beat the huge expenditures of the title. As well as this, GTA 6 seems like it could very well beat the earnings of GTA 5, which will be an equally impressive feat.