GTA 7 Could Cost Less to Develop Than GTA 6 Due to AI, Says Former Rockstar Developer
As anticipation builds for the release of Grand Theft Auto 6, a former Rockstar Games developer believes the next instalment in the blockbuster franchise may cost significantly less to produce – thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence.
Obbe Vermeij, a former technical director at Rockstar North who worked on titles like Vice City, San Andreas, and GTA IV, shared his thoughts in a recent interview on the KIWI TALKZ podcast. He suggested that while GTA 6 is expected to set a new benchmark in both scale and development costs, its successor, GTA 7, may not follow the same expensive trajectory.
“GTA 7 will be cheaper to make than GTA 6,” Vermeij predicted. “The bulk of the work is probably going to be replaced by AI.”
He explained that AI is likely to take over many of the labour-intensive tasks currently handled by large teams of developers and artists – such as creating environments, animations, and cinematic sequences – reducing the need for massive development teams.
“I don’t think there’s going to be a bigger game than GTA 6,” he added. “Because a lot of that work – massive maps, complex cutscenes – could be generated by AI in the next five years.”
GTA 6, widely speculated to be the most expensive video game ever developed, is slated for release in May 2026 unless further delayed. Its budget, though unconfirmed, is expected to surpass anything the industry has seen so far.
Despite the likelihood that GTA 7 will expand on the series’ signature open-world gameplay, Vermeij believes that AI-driven efficiencies could prevent it from eclipsing its predecessor’s record-setting costs.
Whether his prediction holds true, he admits, remains to be seen: “We’ll have to wait 15 years to see if I’m right.”
