Grand Theft Auto VI will likely remain the most expensive entry in the series even after its sequel is released, as a former Rockstar Games employee expects the development of the seventh entry to be cheaper.

Speaking on the KIWI TALKS show, former Rockstar Games Technical Lead Obbe Vermeij, who worked on many iconic entries in the series like Vice City and San Andreas, discussed the future of the franchise past the sixth entry in the series launching next year, saying that there’s likely not going to be a more expensive entry in the series than Grand Theft Auto VI because a lot of the development work is going to be taken over by AI, such as the work for maps and cutscenes. As such, no longer needing manual labor for these tasks, it is expected that Grand Theft Auto 7 will be cheaper to make than its predecessor, painting once again a grim picture for anyone working in the gaming industry. It will take a while, however, to see if Vermeij’s prediction will be true, as we are unlikely to see Grand Theft Auto 7 for a very long time.

Talking about Grand Theft Auto 7 definitely seems a bit premature, considering Grand Theft Auto VI still has to come out. The highly anticipated new entry in the series was supposed to launch before the end of the year, but back in May, Rockstar Games confirmed the game would need more time and will launch in May 2026. Despite the delay, the excitement surrounding the game continues to be high, and some of its features promise to change not only open-world games but also entertainment as a whole, such as the rumored option for artists to upload their music directly into the game.

Grand Theft Auto VI launches on May 26, 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.