Devolver Digital Co-Founder Calls GTA 6 the First-Ever

Grand Theft Auto 6 has been described as the first-ever “AAAAA” video game by Devolver Digital co-founder Nigel Lowrie. Speaking to IGN, Lowrie said, “There are AAA games and then there's AAAA games, and I'd argue that Grand Theft Auto is potentially the AAAAA game, it's just bigger than anything else, both in the scope and scale of the game and the kind of cultural impact that it has and the attention it demands.”

The “AAA” designation has been used for decades to describe games with the largest budgets and most ambitious production values, often from publishers such as Sony, Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and Take-Two Interactive, which owns Rockstar Games. Ubisoft attempted to introduce “AAAA” as a marketing label in 2024 for its live-service title Skull and Bones, which launched at a $70 price point. That effort was widely criticized after the game performed poorly commercially and was later reduced to a $39.99 standard retail price in its second year.

Rockstar’s next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series has been identified as significantly different in scale. The game is scheduled for release on May 26, 2026, after a development cycle lasting more than eight years. Reports state that its budget has reached $1 billion, which would make it the most expensive video game ever developed. Analysts have projected that Grand Theft Auto 6 could generate more than $10 billion in revenue, with as much as $7.6 billion coming in the first two months after release.

Two trailers have been released for the game. They have shown highly realistic animations, expansive landscapes, and detailed environments. In addition to these technical elements, further features have been discussed. A report from GameTyrant on July 26, 2025, conveyed a strong likelihood that a gaming lounge will return in Grand Theft Auto 6, following earlier appearances in games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The report outlined five possible components: interiors including lobbies, hidden vaults, and unique spaces; tournaments such as real-time Hold’em events; missions that unlock through status progression; random non-playable character events such as rigged games or staged altercations; and a chips-to-rewards system that allows in-game winnings to be converted into rewards.

The release of Grand Theft Auto 6 has influenced the rest of the games industry. Adam Lieb, CEO of marketing platform Gamesight, said, “GTA for the last year and a half has been a part of almost every conversation around launch dates I have heard.” Lieb explained that this influence extends beyond genres usually seen as competitors, pointing to Grand Theft Auto Online and role-play servers as examples. He described how a horror-themed role-play server could end up competing with a standalone horror release.

Devolver Digital, the company Lowrie co-founded, previously joked about releasing a game on the same day as Grand Theft Auto 6. Lowrie later said he would not risk the livelihood of a development team or the future of a project worked on for five years by releasing it alongside Rockstar’s title.

The influence of Grand Theft Auto 6 has also appeared in discussions of other highly anticipated games. In coverage of Hollow Knight: Silksong, IGN referred to Grand Theft Auto 6 as a point of comparison due to its level of anticipation and cultural presence.

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