GTA 6 And Other Game Prices Could Skyrocket

Video games are usually a way for us to escape real life, but it looks like the real world could have major impacts on how we consume games, especially in the United States. President Trump has recently been discussing plans to place tariffs on imported goods from China, Canada, and Mexico, and those plans have industry analysts scrambling. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) — a trade group that represents the interests of developers, publishers, and console manufacturers in the US — has released a few statements this week about the potential impacts of these tariffs on upcoming games like "Grand Theft Auto 6." In a statement sent to IGN, the ESA said, "Tariffs on video game devices and related products would negatively impact hundreds of millions of Americans and would harm the industry's significant contributions to the U.S. economy."

The ESA says that it plans to work with President Trump and Congress to find a solution that works for the industry. Meanwhile, many gamers are now worried that their favorite hobby is about to become unaffordable. With major releases like "GTA 6" and the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, gamers need to know how these tariffs could change the cost of new consoles and games. Unfortunately, the news isn't very encouraging, especially considering the rumors already surrounding "GTA 6" in particular.

The President has proposed that 25% tariffs will be placed on all goods coming into the US from Canada and Mexico, as well as a 10% tariff on goods coming in from China. As noted by Time Magazine, raising taxes on imported goods has led to immediate concerns of price inflation for said goods. When it comes to video games, importers don't typically have the luxury of shopping around.

Take physical copies of games as an example. Gaming industry analyst Mat Piscatella has pointed out that a majority of game discs are made in Mexico, meaning standard physical copies and collector's editions could jump in price by as much as 25%. There's no guarantee that these taxes would impact digital storefronts, but Piscatella predicts that publishers might raise their prices to keep digital copies in the same ballpark as their physical counterparts.

Even if digital games aren't directly affected by the tariffs, the consoles we all play them on could be. Many consoles, like the PlayStation 5, are built in China before being shipped across the globe. Nintendo could potentially side-step avoid the tariffs by relying on some of its production facilities in Vietnam to build the Nintendo Switch 2, but other companies could very well be hampered by having their production centralized in China. Plus, there's still a possibility that more tariffs are going to come down the pipeline.

It remains to be seen when the tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico may go into effect. President Trump has announced a 30-day pause while he discusses terms with Mexico and Canada.  For gamers, that means physical media should be safe from a price hike for the time being. Anything could happen after the pause, though, especially considering that instituting broad tariffs was one of President Trump's 2024 campaign promises. There's one release that could be hit harder by the tariffs than any other, though, and gamers are already bracing themselves. "GTA 6" is guaranteed to be a next-level blockbuster, and millions of fans are looking forward to securing a physical copy of their own.

Now, gamers on social media are expressing concerns that tariffs could make that purchase pretty painful. Rockstar has been deafeningly silent about "GTA 6," but rumors have swirled for a while that the game might not be priced at the current industry standard of $70. Some insiders have said they think "GTA 6" will be priced somewhere between $80 and $100, which could then encourage the rest of the industry raise prices that have been fixed for over a decade. That price increase would already be hard for gamers to take, but if an extra 25% were to be tacked onto all physical copies, the price of "GTA 6" could easily become unwieldy. 

Fans will simply have to wait and see how this situation develops. In the meantime, some gamers are hoping that the benefits of the tariffs outweigh the potential costs. Others are hoping that these disputes will be settled before "GTA 6" or any other high-profile game launches become a concern.