GTA 7 might be cheaper to make than GTA 6 thanks to AI

While we have yet to see the final version of GTA 6, its potential successor (which could be named GTA 7) is rumored to be cheaper to develop. Obbe Vermeij, the former technical director at Rockstar North, predicted that Rockstar Games might have to spend less on Grand Theft Auto 7 due to the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

However, fans should note that it was Obbe’s personal opinion and does not reflect Rockstar Games' official process. More details are provided below.

Former Rockstar developer predicts GTA 7 might have a lower budget than GTA 6

On July 3, 2025, Obbe Vermeij participated in an interview at the KIWI TALKZ YouTube channel, where he said that GTA 7 might be cheaper to develop than the upcoming installment. He stated:

“...my prediction is that GTA 7 will be cheaper to make than GTA 6…we’ll have to wait 15 years to see if I’m right or not.”

Also read: Eagle-eyed GTA 6 fan uncovers potential mission details in trailers

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Explaining his prediction, Obbe Vermeij stated:

“I would imagine that let’s say you do a cutscene, you could just uh, you know, all the characters in the cutscene could just be rendered by an AI, including the conversation, if you just describe the scene. That could be your first pass of a cutscene.”

Also read: GTA 6 and its mobile companion app: Rumor explored

However, the former Rockstar Games developer also said that actual artists would be required to produce the creative things:

“You’ll still have artists to do like, tons of artists to do the higher-level creative stuff, and there would be glitches to fix and all that stuff. But I think the bulk of the work is probably going to be replaced.”

It is worth noting that the GTA 6 budget is rumored to be over $1 billion. While there is no official confirmation yet, Grand Theft Auto fans have been speculating about the projected cost since the GTA 6 leaks of September 2022.

While Rockstar Games is known for using AI in its games, it is mostly utilized for NPC reactions and RNG-related features. On that note, it will be interesting to see how much the studio leverages artificial intelligence in the future.

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About the author

Mridul completed his post-graduation in Mass Communication, Journalism, and Media Studies. His career as a journalist began at Sportskeeda, and he has been associated with the Esports & Gaming division for over 1.5 years. He has produced 1600+ articles on Grand Theft Auto, his favorite gaming franchise of all time.

Mridul writes detailed and well-researched articles, relying solely on official sources and reputable insiders for credible information. His immense love for the GTA series shines through in his work, which resonates with readers, with five of his articles having crossed the 100,000 reads mark each. Overall, his reads count stands at close to 8 million.

GTA: Vice City served as Mridul's introduction to Rockstar Games, and he has dedicatedly made his way through the publisher's catalog since then. If given a chance, he would love to drop into the world of Bully and relive his school days. However, he would like to recommend Grand Theft Auto 4 to beginners due to the depth of its narrative and in-game mechanics.

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Edited by Dinesh Renthlei