$3 billion and counting: Here's how much Rockstar has already spent on employee costs to develop GTA 6

Rockstar Games has spent nearly $3 billion on employee-related costs tied to the development of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6). According to a report by WccfTech, figures drawn from UK government disclosures and highlighted by a Reddit user, based on publicly available financial filings from Rockstar North, offer a view into the scale of spending behind the highly anticipated title.Between FY2019–20 and FY2024–25, Rockstar North reported total staff costs of £2.14 billion (about $2.72 billion at an exchange rate of £1 = $1.27). These include wages and salaries, social security contributions, pension costs, and share-based payments. Annual spending rose from £245.8 million in FY2019–20 to a peak of £433.2 million in FY2021–22, before gradually declining to £363.1 million in FY2024–25.The disclosed figures suggest that staffing alone represents a substantial portion of Grand Theft Auto VI’s development costs. However, Rockstar North has also continued supporting Grand Theft Auto Online and, to a lesser extent, Red Dead Online during this period, meaning not all expenses are exclusively tied to GTA 6.Rockstar also has studios worldwide, including San Diego, Toronto, New England, Lincoln, Leeds, London, Dundee, Sydney, and Bengaluru. These teams support development, which means total costs are higher than Rockstar North's filings show.According to industry estimates, staff costs account for a large share of development budgets for big games in the US, Canada, and the UK. When you add in other costs like technology, infrastructure, and a marketing campaign that is expected to start closer to the launch date, the total cost of GTA 6 could be between $4 billion and $5 billion. For context, Bloomberg has reported that many big-budget games now cost around $300 million to produce.If there are no delays, Rockstar Games will release GTA 6 on November 19, 2026. The company's last game, Grand Theft Auto V, made money for a long time through its online mode. People expect the same from GTA 6, and reports say it will feature a larger multiplayer mode.It started making GTA 6 in late 2018, after Red Dead Redemption 2 came out. Rockstar North's records show that staffing costs have always been high, a sign of the project's size and duration.Rockstar North has also faced internal problems, including reports of employees being fired for leaking sensitive information. Some workers have disagreed with those claims, saying that no private information was shared and that the actions were aimed at workers who were trying to unionise. There have also been layoffs at the Toronto studio, where people protested outside the company's office.