Rockstar Games has said Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch without microtransactions or generative AI, closing off two of the more contentious questions hanging over the game ahead of its November 19 release.
The confirmation came during a group conversation with Kinda Funny Games held ahead of the GTA 6: Extended Look presentation, as reported by Eurogamer and IGN. Kinda Funny's Andy Cortez said he asked Rockstar whether players would be able to spend real-world money on in-game purchases, and was told there are "no monetisations in this game". Greg Miller said he then asked the studio "point-blank" whether generative AI had been used anywhere in the game's development, and was told there is "no AI" in it either.
What the Ultimate Edition still gates
The absence of microtransactions does not mean every buyer gets the same game. The Ultimate Edition is priced at $99.99 against the standard edition's $79.99 — £90 against £70 in the UK — and bundles exclusive cosmetics, vehicles and weapons, along with shops and services standard owners cannot reach. Among them are the Electric Fang tattoo parlour and the Stock 305 clothing store.
Rockstar's own support page, cited by both outlets, says standard edition owners will be able to buy the Ultimate Edition upgrade separately after redeeming their copy, and that the bonus content is "threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia's story, with new items uncovered behind each chapter". IGN also framed the lack of monetisation as a reminder that Rockstar has said nothing about a new version of Grand Theft Auto Online.
Against the industry trend on AI
On the AI answer, Eurogamer noted that Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar's parent company, reportedly laid off its AI team earlier this year, including its head of AI. Take-Two chief executive Strauss Zelnick has previously said that AI is incapable of creativity of its own, a position Eurogamer described as running against an industry that has increasingly pivoted to the tools — most recently at the cost of human translators and human-made in-game artwork. Krafton, Square Enix and EA were among the publishers Eurogamer listed as having invested heavily in the technology.
IGN made a similar point from the other direction, citing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Arc Raiders as recent cases where generative AI became a problem for the developers who used it.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is due out on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.