While the infamous GTA 6 leaker has been arrested, that hasn’t stopped further intel from spilling out online. A week after the gameplay dump, newly surfaced DMs appear to have let slip the game’s $2 billion budget.
On September 18, the gaming industry all but stood still as one of the biggest leaks in history set the internet ablaze. GTA 6 gameplay was on display for the very first time, as dozens of in-development clips revealed new systems, protagonists, and plenty more.
Rockstar swiftly followed up to assure the game’s development would not be majorly impacted by the enormous leak. Days later and the 17-year-old hacker responsible for the leak was arrested in England.
However, with their online history being traced, further intel is continuing to slip through the cracks. Now, it appears the game’s budget has been revealed in leaked DMs as the hacker seemingly claimed “over $2 billion” has already been spent on GTA 6.
“GTA 6 has been in development since 2014,” the hacker supposedly shared on a secretive message board. He went on to reveal the $2 billion investment already made by Rockstar parent company Take-Two Interactive, according to what he could glean from the security breach.
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The person responsible for the Rockstar & Uber breach has angered a group of ransomware Threat ActorsThey state he initiated conversations on selling access, but in the midst of negotiations burned accessHe claimed to have access to Kone, Bank of Brasil, Take2Games & DoorDash pic.twitter.com/2RPZ6LtZMr
— vx-underground (@vxunderground) September 24, 2022
Obviously, it’s worth taking this information with a grain of salt for the time being. It’s unclear if $2 billion has already been spent, or whether that’s a final estimate as development continues for another few years. There’s also no telling if this sum also factors in marketing costs, which could reach eight or nine-figure territory in its own right.
For comparison, while no official details have been shared, analysts put GTA V’s budget close to $265 million, making it the most expensive video game ever made at the time. The game went on to generate over $815 million in under 24 hours and has since sold over 169 million copies, soaring through the charts to become the second best-selling game of all time and most profitable entertainment product ever.
Should this leak hold true and the GTA 6 budget clear $2 billion by launch, there’s little doubt Rockstar would struggle to earn it back in short order.