A former Rockstar Games developer has suggested that artificial intelligence could make the development of Grand Theft Auto 7 less expensive than its predecessor, GTA 6.
Obbe Vermeij, who worked on several GTA titles between 1995 and 2009, shared his thoughts in a recent interview with Kiwi Talkz. Vermeij predicted that AI could take over much of the work involved in game development within the next five years, including creating maps and cutscenes.
“My prediction is GTA 7 will be cheaper to make than GTA 6,” Vermeij said. “Say you do a cutscene. All the characters in the cutscene could just be rendered by an AI, including the conversation, if you just describe the scene.”
While he believes AI will handle the bulk of routine tasks, Vermeij acknowledged that human developers will still be needed for high-level creative decisions and technical work, including writing the story and fixing bugs.
GTA 6, which has been in development for several years, is now scheduled to launch on May 26, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Originally expected in late 2025, Rockstar Games delayed the release to give developers more time to polish the game. The company said it aims to “exceed expectations.”
Rumors have long suggested that GTA 6 may have a production budget of $2 billion, but Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, has stated the actual cost is closer to $1 billion.
The idea of AI playing a larger role in game development has sparked debate among fans. While AI tools have been used behind the scenes for years, the growing use of generative AI has raised concerns about creativity and transparency. For example, Polish studio 11 Bit faced backlash recently after failing to disclose that AI-generated text was used in early builds of its game The Alters.
Vermeij’s comments remain speculative, as he left Rockstar before the launch of GTA 5. It’s also unclear what direction the studio will take after GTA 6, with fans hoping for sequels to other franchises like Bully or Red Dead Redemption.
For now, fans are focused on the upcoming GTA 6, which marks the next major installment in one of gaming’s most successful series.
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