GTA 6 development budget approaches the $1.5 billion cost of the Burj Khalifa

Rockstar says the production budget for Grand Theft Auto VI is slightly less than the $1.5 billion cost of Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Neither Rockstar nor Take-Two Interactive has disclosed the exact figure, but industry estimates point to it being the most expensive video game ever made.

Image: Twisted Voxel

The studio's workforce has grown to more than 4,700 employees, nearly double the staff size from when development began 13 years after the last numbered entry in the series. Rising expenses are driven by technical ambitions, a large open-world setting based on a fictionalized Miami, and extensive motion-capture work for realistic visuals.

Past franchise success has funded the project, with Grand Theft Auto sales reaching approximately 500 million copies worldwide, including 230 million from Grand Theft Auto V. GTA Online also generates about $500 million annually. Industry analysts expect the upcoming game to earn up to $3 billion in its first four months. Grand Theft Auto VI launches on November 19, 2026.

Background On October 16, South Korea's GCRB approved the game with a rating equivalent to PEGI 18+ after it was nearly banned for nudity. Our earlier story