Rumor Origins and Rockstar Response
A July 2025 Gulf News article sparked the claim that the budget reached 2 billion dollars, exceeding the Burj Khalifa's cost. Rockstar's Jennifer Kolbe told Bloomberg the rumor was incorrect. Earlier reporting from Business Insider had placed the range at 1 to 1.5 billion based on analyst estimates, with Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick acknowledging high spending without specifics.
Comparisons and Development Scale
Star Citizen's ongoing funding exceeds 1 billion dollars, while other titles such as Concord and The Last of Us Part II stayed near or above 200 million. Rockstar has grown from 2,441 staff in 2018 to 4,711 across 12 offices, driving up costs significantly.
Revenue Outlook and Preorder Data
Analysts project 40 million sales and 3 billion dollars in revenue within four months of the November launch. Newzoo estimated 260 million dollars in global first-week preorders, tracking toward several billion in cumulative sales by launch week end. Rockstar has also indicated its next project will not require another eight-year cycle.