The often-repeated $600 million figure is about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, not GTA V or GTA 6. It is an illustrative gross-sales estimate based on reported sales of more than 12 million copies and an assumed $50 price per copy—not confirmed publisher revenue or profit. Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was also reported to have cost less than $10 million to make, but the available figures do not establish a precise, like-for-like budget comparison.
Where the $600 million GTA figure comes from
GamesRadar traced the claim to an archived 2006 USA Today report that, according to GamesRadar’s account, put Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas above 12 million copies sold roughly 16 months after its October 2004 launch. GamesRadar then multiplied that unit figure by the game’s $50 base price to produce an estimate of about $600 million.
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That calculation is simple: more than 12 million copies × an assumed $50 each = more than $600 million in gross sales value at that price. It is not evidence that every copy sold for $50, nor does it account for discounts, regional pricing, retailer and platform shares, taxes, returns, or other deductions. The original USA Today report was not available in the reviewed sources, so the unit count and timing are attributed here to GamesRadar’s description of it.
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GamesRadar describes San Andreas as having a reported budget of roughly $10 million. Its account points to contemporaneous press coverage, including a December 2004 Wall Street Journal report, and an Ottawa Citizen item quoting then-Take-Two president Paul Eibeler as saying the budget was less than $10 million. This is a historical reported figure, not a publicly verified audited cost.
#1 Best Overall
- Classic Open-World Adventure: Experience the iconic story of Carl Johnson as he returns to Los Santos, navigating through gang warfare, corruption, and family drama in this legendary action-adventure game set in early 1990s California
- Massive Explorable Territory: Roam freely across three distinct cities and vast countryside areas, featuring diverse landscapes from urban streets to rural farmlands, deserts, and mountain ranges with endless opportunities for exploration
- Enhanced Xbox 360 Performance: Enjoy improved graphics, smoother gameplay, and enhanced visual details optimized for Xbox 360 hardware, bringing the sprawling world of San Andreas to life with better rendering and performance
- Extensive Customization Options: Personalize your character's appearance with numerous clothing options, hairstyles, and tattoos while also customizing vehicles and building CJ's skills through various activities including gym workouts and driving challenges
- Diverse Gameplay Activities: Engage in a wide variety of missions and side activities including street racing, casino games, property acquisition, gang territory control, and numerous mini-games that provide hours of entertainment beyond the main storyline
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was likewise reported to have cost less than $10 million. GamesRadar and GameSpot attribute that figure to New York Times reporting and Sandfall Interactive. No public audited breakdown establishes exactly which costs the number includes. The sources also do not show that the two games’ budgets were calculated on the same basis, so the shared “under $10 million” label is suggestive, not proof of an exact match.
| Figure | What it describes | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| More than 12 million copies | San Andreas sales roughly 16 months after its October 2004 launch | GamesRadar’s account of an archived 2006 USA Today report; the original report’s wording and methodology were not verified here. |
| About $600 million | Illustrative gross sales value for San Andreas | GamesRadar’s calculation using the reported unit count and an assumed $50 base price; not publisher receipts or profit. |
| Roughly $10 million; reported as less than $10 million in a cited quote | San Andreas budget | Historical press reporting cited by GamesRadar; not an audited, publicly established cost. |
| Less than $10 million | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 budget | Attributed to Sandfall via New York Times reporting summarized by GamesRadar and GameSpot; a public audited cost breakdown is not established. |
Why $600 million is not the same as revenue or profit
Multiplying copies by a list price estimates what those copies would be worth at that price before deductions. It does not show how much money Rockstar or Take-Two actually received. The calculation uses a reported unit count and an assumed price; it does not document the prices paid for each sale or the amounts retained by the publisher and developer.
Rank #2
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl 'CJ' Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption.
Nor can the estimate be compared directly with a reported development budget to prove a return on investment. The budget figure may not include the same categories of spending across the two games, and the $600 million figure is gross sales value rather than net income. The arithmetic supports a striking scale comparison, not a precise profit multiple.
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What this says—and does not say—about GTA 6
The historical comparison does not establish how much GTA 6 costs to make. No official budget figure was established in the sources reviewed. Claims that the game has a billion-dollar budget should therefore be described as estimates unless supported by a disclosed, attributable figure.
Rank #3
- Drive through the largest GTA environment ever -- The game has three cities players can explore, for a gaming area 5 times larger than Vice City
- Recruit new characters into a street gang and take over by leading drive-by shootings against rivals Steal all-new vehicles, including bicycles
- Improved fighting elements -- smoother hand-to-hand combat, plus the ability to hold a weapon in each hand
- New graphics elements as cars get dirty and even rust, the longer you drive them
- Advanced role-playing elements -- Unlike previous GTA characters, Carl can swim and he needs to eat to survive
Take-Two’s June 24, 2026 announcement listed GTA 6 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S at $79.99, with a November 19, 2026 release date. Those are announcement details, not a development-budget disclosure, and release or pricing information can change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How a small core team fits into the picture
Sandfall’s reported budget is a figure for the game, not a headcount. In a pre-release Unreal Engine interview, co-founder and lead programmer Tom Guillermin said: “We’re a core team of less than 30 people, split across our office space in Montpellier (around 25 people) and a smaller space in Paris (five people).” He was describing the core team at that time, not everyone who contributed to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Rank #4
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- Discover an immersive storyline filled with twists and turns
- Take part in fast-paced and lawless driving
- Experience all-new action that continues the hit Grand Theft Auto series
- Encounter new thrills and wicked speeds that are just up the road
The comparison is most useful as a reminder that a reported sub-$10 million budget can accompany a major commercial result—but the cited figures alone cannot establish that result’s net return, or show that the two games’ budgets cover identical costs.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Grand Theft Auto III: It all starts in Liberty City. With the revolutionary freedom to go anywhere and jack anyone, Grand Theft Auto III puts the center of the criminal underworld at your fingertips, if you have enough guts to take it.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Welcome to the 1980s. From the decade of big hair and pastel suits comes the story of one man's rise to the top of the criminal pile. Grand Theft Auto returns with Tommy Vercetti’s tale of betrayal and revenge in a neon-soaked tropical town full of excess and brimming with possibilities.
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Five years ago, Carl ‘CJ’ Johnson escaped the haze of Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs, and corruption. Now, it's the early 90s. CJ’s got to go home - his mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart, and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster.
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