Martin Klíma, cofounder of Warhorse Studios, said he does not understand the widespread excitement for GTA 6 and does not plan to play the game, but he believes the release could help normalize higher prices for major titles across the games industry.
Klíma: popularity of GTA 6 “escapes” him
In an interview with PC Gamer, Klíma — whose studio is known for the Kingdom Come franchise — described GTA 6 as a significant technological achievement while making clear it falls outside his personal interests.
“I will not play GTA 6, unless I am somehow forced. And the reason it is so popular escapes me. It is something I simply cannot understand,” Klíma said.
Industry-wide price shift could follow
Beyond his personal disinterest, Klíma focused on the broader market implications of GTA 6’s launch. He said one option to address rising development costs is raising the unit price of games, a step many companies fear to take.
“The last resort is to increase the unit price. That would help a lot, but everyone is terrified to do it. Now, we hope GTA paves the way and allows us to raise the price,” he explained.
Klíma named Rockstar and its parent company Take-Two among the few studios with enough market power to attempt such a change, and argued that higher prices may be necessary to keep businesses sustainable over the long term.
The comments come as major game productions increasingly demand larger teams, longer development cycles, and investments that can reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
GTA 6 pricing already above the $70 norm
Those industry trends are visible in GTA 6’s retail pricing: the Standard edition is listed at US$79.99, while an Ultimate edition goes for US$99.99.
The Standard price sits US$10 higher than the US$69.99 level that has become common for major PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S releases.
Klíma suggested GTA 6 could function as a consumer test: if players accept higher launch prices from a major publisher, other companies might feel more comfortable following suit.
Implications beyond sales figures
Although he does not grasp the game’s wide appeal and does not intend to play it, Klíma said he expects GTA 6’s influence to extend beyond sales numbers. He hopes its commercial performance and pricing strategy will help establish a new price benchmark for the industry.
