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The often-cited $600 million figure is about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, not GTA V or GTA 6. It is a rough estimate of sales value—not confirmed Rockstar revenue or profit—and the game’s reported budget was roughly $10 million. Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was also reported to have cost less than $10 million, but the two budget figures are not proven to use the same accounting scope.
What does the $600 million figure actually describe?
GamesRadar, citing an archived 2006 USA Today report, says Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas had sold more than 12 million copies about 16 months after its October 2004 release. GamesRadar estimates about $600 million by multiplying that reported unit count by the game’s $50 base price. GamesRadar’s account of the calculation
That multiplication is a useful illustration of scale, not a confirmed accounting figure. It assumes all those copies sold at the base price, although actual sale prices and the mix of markets and editions are not established by the cited account. It also does not subtract retailer and distribution shares, platform fees, taxes, refunds, or other costs. The $600 million should therefore be described as estimated gross sales value, not the amount Rockstar or Take-Two received and not profit.
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How does that compare with the reported budgets?
| Game | Reported budget | What the figure establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Roughly $10 million; a contemporaneous report quoted Take-Two’s then-president Paul Eibeler saying it was less than $10 million. | GamesRadar cites contemporary press coverage, including a December 2004 Wall Street Journal report and an Ottawa Citizen item. This is a reported figure, not a publicly verified audited cost. GamesRadar’s budget references |
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Less than $10 million. | GamesRadar and GameSpot attribute the figure to Sandfall Interactive in New York Times reporting. A public audited breakdown and the full range of costs included have not been established. GamesRadar’s report · GameSpot’s report |
The two reports make the comparison striking, but they do not prove a like-for-like budget match. Neither figure comes with a public audited breakdown here, and the available reporting does not confirm that both budgets count the same combination of development, marketing, or other expenses. Treat them as reported ballpark figures, not a precise comparison of production efficiency.
#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
Does the comparison tell us anything about GTA 6’s cost?
No. San Andreas’s sales estimate and budget do not establish what GTA 6 costs to make. The reviewed sources do not provide an official GTA 6 budget. Claims of a billion-dollar cost should be labeled estimates, not confirmed Rockstar disclosures. Take-Two announced GTA 6 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S at $79.99, with a November 19, 2026 release date, in a June 24, 2026 announcement; those launch details are separate from any production-cost figure. Take-Two’s announcement
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why is a smaller-budget game not automatically a more profitable one?
A budget-to-sales-value comparison leaves out the economics between a customer’s purchase and a publisher’s final earnings. The $600 million estimate uses a reported copy count and an assumed base price; it is not a ledger of money received. Profit would also depend on the actual prices paid, the publisher’s share of sales, distribution and platform terms, marketing and other expenses, and revenue or costs not captured by the simple calculation.
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.
Team size offers context, but not a substitute for those missing accounting details. In a pre-release Unreal Engine interview, Sandfall co-founder and lead programmer Tom Guillermin described the core team as fewer than 30 people, with about 25 in Montpellier and five in Paris. That statement describes the core team at that time; it does not count everyone who contributed to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Unreal Engine interview with Tom Guillermin
So the defensible takeaway is narrower than the headline arithmetic suggests: both games have reported budgets below or around $10 million, and San Andreas had a reported sales milestone large enough to produce a roughly $600 million illustration at its $50 base price. That does not establish either game’s final profit or provide a reliable forecast for GTA 6.
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.
Rank #4
- This Certified Refurbished product is tested and certified to look and work like new. The refurbishing process includes functionality testing, basic cleaning, inspection, and repackaging. The product ships with all relevant accessories, a minimum 90-day warranty, and may arrive in a generic box. Only select sellers who maintain a high performance bar may offer Certified Refurbished products on Amazon.com
- 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
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
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
