Former Rockstar Games Insider Claims GTA 7 Development Will Be Cheaper Than GTA 6

In a recent podcast with KIWI TALKZ, a show known for interviewing famous video game developers, Obbe Vermeij, Ex-technical director of Rockstar Games, hinted at GTA 7 releasing sooner than we might expect, with a cheaper budget than GTA 6. The release date of GTA 6 is finally set after a decade in the making, and the highly anticipated game is set to be the most expensive game, with over 2 billion USD spent on its making.

The budget of the game has been a highly talked-about topic among gamers due to the massive amount invested in the game like never before. But, with this new insight from Obbe, we might see a future where GTA 7 will be cheaper than GTA 6.

GTA 7 Will Be Cheaper to Make Than GTA 6

In the gaming interview released on 3rd July, Obbe Vermeij frankly talked about GTA 6 and the future of GTA 7. Vermeij served as the technical director of Rockstar Games from 1995 to 2009, spanning a relationship of almost 14 years with the game development company. He was actively involved in the release of GTA 3 and GTA 4, while being duly credited in other game series, namely GTA Vice City, San Andreas, Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories, and Chinatown Wars.

Vermeij remarked on KIWI TALKZ after discussing the expensive cost of GTA 6. He later added, “We’ll have to wait 15 years to see if I’m right or not…,” making the statement more of an educated guess based on his experienced career as a developer in the gaming industry.

AI to Reduce the Development Cost of GTA 7

Obbe further discussed why he believes that AI will be the reason for GTA 7 being cheaper. He speculates that the development of AI will make progress in releasing the game much faster. AI would reduce the workload of the main graphic programmers by working on background characters and small details while leaving the main developer to work on big-time graphics. Obbe also claimed,

One of the main features in GTA 6 includes the use of AI, which was never used before. In the next ten years, Vermeij speculates that the majority of the background work will be done by AIs, including characters' dialogues.

Future of GTA 7

While there was a discussion in the interview, there hasn't been any official declaration of the existence of GTA 7 from Rockstar Games. This may not be surprising since Rockstar likes to keep things quiet till significant progress. Although it's a prediction, this discussion gives us an insight into what the future of gaming will look like.

The additional use of AI in the current GTA 6 trailer release shows us a glimpse of what it can do. With more realistic NPCs and an advanced tactical mind of enemies, it shows that AI gives a new dimension to GTA 6. With much more progressed artificial intelligence in the coming years, the changes in GTA 7 could be generational.