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GTA 6 cost vs Burj Khalifa: Why the viral comparison misses the real story
A viral graphic says GTA 6 cost more than the $1.5B Burj Khalifa. Analysts say Take-Two could recoup that development spend in days, not decades.
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A graphic comparing Grand Theft Auto VI's development cost to the Burj Khalifa's $1.5 billion price tag is spreading online. It puts the game at $2 billion-plus, the high end of analyst estimates. Take-Two Interactive, the publisher, has never disclosed a standalone budget for the project. Estimates range from $1 billion to $2 billion over a development cycle that started around 2018.
The comparison is eye-catching. The math behind it is less precise. The Burj Khalifa generates tourism and real estate income over decades. GTA 6 could recoup its full development cost within days of launch, several analysts said.
The last major release in the franchise, GTA V, sold 195 million copies and generated over $8 billion in lifetime revenue. GTA Online, the multiplayer component, adds recurring revenue from microtransactions. A single day of pre-orders on GTA 6 could exceed $1 billion based on pre-order volume data tracked by industry estimates. Unconfirmed reports circulating on gaming forums claim pre-orders already pulled in $3 billion on day one. The company has not confirmed any figures.