GTA VI: no microtransactions and no AI, says Rockstar
Rockstar told Kinda Funny's hosts that GTA VI has no real-money purchases and no generative AI. That covers the base game at launch; the Ultimate Edition extras and the GTA Online question remain.
According to Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto VI won't let you spend real money on in-game purchases, and there's no generative AI in it either. The answers went to the Kinda Funny Games hosts at a press event ahead of the GTA VI: Extended Look, and IGN, Eurogamer and GamesRadar+ have all picked them up.
Andy Cortez asked whether players could pay real money for anything in the game. Rockstar's reply: there are "no monetizations in this game." Greg Miller asked point-blank about generative AI and was told there is "no AI" in the game. GamesRadar+ reports that the person answering was Rob Nelson, co-studio head at Rockstar North, who reportedly just said "no."
Keep in mind there's no written statement here: the answers come to us through the Kinda Funny crew. They also only cover the base game at launch. Rockstar has said nothing about GTA Online.
The Ultimate Edition stays
No microtransactions doesn't mean everything comes in one box. The pricier edition still locks away extra content. Here's the breakdown:
- the standard edition is $79.99, or £70 in the UK according to Eurogamer;
- the Ultimate Edition is $99.99, or £90 in the UK;
- Ultimate adds exclusive cosmetic packs, cars, guns and shops, such as the Electric Fang tattoo parlor and the Stock 305 clothing store.
An official Rockstar support page confirms that standard edition owners can buy the Ultimate upgrade separately later. The same page says:
"Ultimate Edition bonuses are threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia's story, with new items uncovered behind each chapter."
So you can still spend real money on the game, just on the pricier edition or the upgrade rather than on small in-game purchases.
What about Online?
GamesRadar+ points out that GTA Online reportedly brings in almost $8 million a week, mostly from Shark Cards. The writer doubts the GTA VI version of Online will arrive without monetization, and Rockstar hasn't said a word about it so far. In my humble opinion, Shark Cards aren't retiring.
One more thing on AI: Eurogamer says Take-Two reportedly laid off its AI team earlier this year, including its head of AI, and Strauss Zelnick has said AI is incapable of creativity of its own.
Which edition are you getting? ;)
