A few years ago, most big AAA games cost $60. Then came the price hikes, with game after game launching at $70. Now this week, we’re hearing increasing discussion of 2025’s most anticipated game, Grand Theft Auto 6, potentially costing not $70, not $80, or even $90…but $100.

Could it really?

The suggestion of a $100 GTA 6 technically comes from Epyllion CEO and analyst Matthew Ball in a lengthy presentation on the state of gaming in 2025 published last week. Near the end of the presentation, Ball says that “some gamemakers hope GTA 6 will be priced at $80 to $100, breaking the $70 barrier and helping $50 titles to move up to $60, $60 to do $70, $70 to $80 etc.”

“Packaged game prices have never been lower in real terms than they are today — even though budgets are at all-time highs and player growth is stalled,” Ball writes. “GTA 6 could re-establish packed video game prices after decades of deflation despite rampant cost growth.”

Ball’s report doesn’t make the direct claim that GTA 6 will cost $100, only that some game makers are hoping it will cost somewhere around that much. However, the mere suggestion sparked significant discussion on social media as to whether or not it was possible or advisable for GTA 6 to cost that much, and whether doing so would really help the industry…or GTA for that matter. So I reached out to some other analysts for their takes on the notion. And they had…thoughts.

Could GTA 6 Actually Cost $100?

Sure, it could, says Mat Piscatella, analyst at Circana. Anything’s possible, especially for a game as anticipated as GTA 6. But is it a likely, or reasonable outcome? “Probably not.”

“There’s just no need,” he wrote in a post on Bluesky. “You want to make the funnel as wide as possible, while also optimizing launch $. You don’t do this [by] making the base price of a game so high that the funnel narrows. It just makes no sense. At all.”

Joost van Dreunen, NYU Stern professor and author of the SuperJoost newsletter, agreed that a price increase would be a “mistake” for Take-Two and Rockstar, noting that it was unlikely to deviate from what made GTA 5 work out so well for them:

“Their success with GTA 5 came partly from their pricing strategy — launching at a standard price point late in the console cycle, then selling another copy to those same players when they upgraded to new consoles,” he said. “They’ll likely stick to this proven approach, though they’ll definitely offer premium editions with extras at higher price points.”

I spoke to five different analysts, all of whom largely agreed that GTA 6 wasn’t going to be priced higher than the usual $70…for the base game, at least. Because both Piscatella and MIDiA’s Rhys Elliott pointed out a critical loophole here: Publishers already are charging $100 for games.

“Most huge AAA games already charge $100 (sometimes more) in the first 3-7 days before launch, but they call it ‘early access’ and slap ‘collector’s edition’ in the name,” he said. “Publishers have hijacked collector’s editions as a way to charge more for ‘early access’ – AKA delayed access for those consumers unwilling to pay the markup.”

Elliott named a number of publishers using this strategy already, such as WB Games (Hogwarts Legacy), Xbox (Starfield), EA (EA Sports FC 25), and Ubisoft (Star Wars: Outlaws).

But he added that the idea of charging $100 for the “base game” without these extra perks would be “a bridge too far,” even in the case of GTA.

“They’d find success either way,” he said. “GTA 6 is going to be a cultural phenomenon and could bear a $100 price point, but player backlash would be significant, and that would be a short-term gain at a long-term cost. Maximizing day-one premium revenues and giving mass consumers sticker shock is not the play here, especially in today’s economy. And while many gamers will play through GTA 6’s single-player, online is where the engagement – and recurring revenue spend – happens. It’s where the real revenue comes in. Rockstar would not want to limit its total addressable market there.

“One of the major challenges for GTA 6 is convincing players to jump ship from GTA 5’s online component, so creating a needlessly higher switching cost would not be wise here.”

How much for GTA Online?

Elliott brings up a critical point here: GTA 5 was a massively successful game, but the thing that really gave it staying power to sell five million copies a quarter for a decade was its online multiplayer playground, GTA Online. Which begs the question: even if GTA 6 is priced at $70, what will its version of GTA Online cost? Will Rockstar and Take-Two really keep it available at no additional cost, as before?

James McWhirter, senior games analyst at Omdia, thinks so.

“GTA Online was key to GTA 5’s ongoing success, driving premium sales and subscription service licensing; a precedent Take-Two is unlikely to disrupt with GTA 6’s launch,” he said. “Alternative pricing schemes will likely emerge only after establishing a strong player base for the next-gen GTA Online, which will anchor long-term engagement. The real challenge lies in managing continuity between two live-service GTA Online games. Depending on how Take-Two handles this transition, alternative business models could emerge sooner or later.”

Elliott largely agrees that the same model as before is most likely, pointing out that both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 didn’t see the launch of their online modes until shortly after the release of the main game. But he also sees the potential for other possibilities:

“While I think we will see something similar for GTA 6 and its online component, I can also see a world where Rockstar launches them completely separately,” he said. “If they did this, they would probably add some online perks into the ‘single-player version’ to nudge players to play online, too. Another possibility is having the core story play out in GTA 6, then adding subsequent story content into the online mode – best of both worlds, perhaps.

“As for subscriptions, Rockstar will likely continue what it set out with GTA+, perhaps adding a battle pass to complement as well.”

Five Million a Quarter

I’ve covered Take-Two’s earnings calls for several years running now, and inevitably every single quarter in my memory, they’ve managed to sell five million more copies of GTA 5 while making piles of money off GTA Online as well despite the game being over a decade old now. It’s difficult to imagine any other game ever matching or exceeding that level of success.

But if any game can, it’s GTA 6, seemingly without the need to upset its players by hiking up base game prices. Assuming GTA 6’s launch cost and plan are roughly the same as GTA 5’s, van Dreunen concluded his response to me with a prediction. It’s one he’s made before back in December of 2023, but which he stands by now as well: GTA 6 can and will match or exceed the success of GTA 5.

“When GTA 5 launched in 2013, about 29% of console gamers (35 million) purchased a copy,” he said. “Assuming a similar adoption rate among an anticipated 130 million console install base in 2025, GTA 6 could sell around 38 million copies in its first twelve months. At an average selling price of $70, this would generate approximately $2.7 billion through both digital and physical channels, aligning with Take-Two’s projected earnings increase for 2025.”

If gamemakers are hoping and praying for a $100 GTA or even an $80 one, it sounds like they may have to keep dreaming after all.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

First-person shooter PvP Roblox experience Rivals has unleashed Update 9, adding the creative Gunblade weapon and Bridge map to its pool of content.

Developer Nosniy Games detailed each addition in patch notes for today’s update, revealing a handful of tweaks to pass the time as the team looks to the horizon. It’s a shorter list that positions the new update as one of the smaller in recent memory, but that doesn’t mean it won’t keep players locked in for the time being.

Rivals fans often show up for the FPS gameplay and stick around for the guns, so the Gunblade already feels right at home. This two-in-one rifle doubles as both a ranged weapon and a giant blade. Using both to catch your opponents off guard may prove useful in the heat of battle, especially on the new Rivals Bridge map. This suspended, concrete location leaves no room for small talk by putting players into close-quarters combat from the jump with only a few concrete walls and a bus standing in between them. Nosniy says the arena is located in Seoul and comes from creator @GreatGuyBoom.

The recently released Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is set for a physical release on PlayStation 5 only.

Playasia said it has partnered with publisher Koei Tecmo to exclusively release a PS5 physical version of the remaster on March 27.

There is no mention of a physical Xbox version, which is perhaps unsurprising given Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is available now on Game Pass, Microsoft’s subscription service.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black was announced during Xbox Developer Direct 2025 and shadow-dropped digitally across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S. It was a surprise reveal that came alongside confirmation that Microsoft is set to publish Ninja Gaiden 4 across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S (including Game Pass day one) later in 2025. For more, here’s everything announced during Microsoft’s Xbox Developer Direct 2025.

Here’s the official blurb on Ninja Gaiden 2 Black:

In Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, players assume the role of Ryu Hayabusa, a deadly ninja who wields the legendary Dragon Sword while embarking on a global battle against a series of formidable foes. The beautiful and bloody remaster utilizes Unreal Engine 5 to significantly enhance the graphic expression, elevating everything from character visuals to environmental backgrounds. In fact, the stages, characters, effects, and lighting have all been completely redesigned and remastered to fully immerse gamers into the story’s dark ninja world.

Gore elements such as dismemberment and blood have also been remastered to enhance the action experience. The high-speed, violent fights play out in brilliant brutality, utilizing a variety of weapons and techniques including Japanese swords, shurikens, Kusari-gamas, and tonfas. Meanwhile, those looking for a more toned-down experience can simply toggle the dismemberment feature on and off in the Options menu.

In addition, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black includes extra elements from the spin-off titles released after the original game’s debut, including the ability to control three additional characters: Momiji, Ayane, and Rachel. The remaster also includes “HERO PLAY STYLE”, a mode for beginners that provides automatic support in the most difficult situations, making the notoriously challenging title more accessible for those who may not be so confident in their action skills.

In a post on Xbox Wire, Team Ninja boss Fumihiko Yasuda explained the decision to remaster Ninja Gaiden 2.

“This simultaneous announcement and same-day release alongside Ninja Gaiden 4 might have caught some people by surprise,” he said. “The biggest reason for developing Ninja Gaiden 2 Black was to address the concerns of core fans who might be wondering, ‘What’s going to happen to Ryu Hayabusa?’ We also wanted to give players something to enjoy as they wait for the release of Ninja Gaiden 4. We chose Ninja Gaiden 2 because it stands as one of the most solid action games in the series. We added ‘Black’ to the title to signal to fans that this is the definitive version, much like Ninja Gaiden Black was for the first game.”

Yasuda continued: “This version is crafted to satisfy both those who played the original and newcomers discovering it as a current-generation action game. We’ve meticulously incorporated some of the additions of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 while staying true to the challenge and feel of the original 360 version, including its signature gore and violence. We’ve also adjusted the weapon upgrade system to more align with the original release.”

Team Ninja’s infamously challenging Ninja Gaiden series has a long association with Xbox. The developer’s reboot of the action series launched first on Xbox in 2004, propelling master ninja Ryu Hayabusa into the mainstream. Ninja Gaiden Black, considered one of the greatest action games of all time, launched the following year.

Ninja Gaiden 2 came out in 2008 published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. Ninja Gaiden 3 followed in 2012 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Since then, fans have had the critically panned spin-off Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, and, more recently, Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection, a compilation of Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet – Prismatic Evolutions represents the culmination of the slow build-up to Pokémania 2025. The wild popularity of the set sold preorders out fast, with stock only now starting to return to shelves and online retailers. But, despite these difficulties, it’s quickly become the ultimate crown jewel of the Scarlet and Violet era, delivering fan-favorite Eevee and its evolutions in jaw-dropping Special Illustration Rares and ultra-rare Master Ball foils.

Packed with over 200 cards, including powerhouse Pokémon like Roaring Moon ex and Pikachu ex, this set blends stunning artwork with competitive playability, making it a must-have for trainers and collectors alike. Improved pull rates for Special Illustration Rares sweeten the deal, giving fans a better shot at pulling their dream cards, even as demand hits an all-time high.