Rockstar's GTA+ price increase has sparked a heated debate among fans.
Fans of Grand Theft Auto Online woke up to a nasty surprise today, as Rockstar Games has increased the price of the game's optional GTA+ subscription service. It's a bold move, and might be part of a broader plan to set the stage for changes impending with the upcoming launch of GTA 6, slated for 2025.
The GTA+ membership, which has been available for two years, has seen its monthly cost jump from $5.99/£4.99/€5.99 to new price points of $7.99/£6.99/€7.99, marking a 33% increase. This news was first spotted by eagle-eyed Reddit user u/mercadess550owner, who reported seeing the new pricing reflected in both the Xbox and PlayStation digital stores.
The price hike comes after Rockstar recently added more perks to the GTA+ service, including access to classic Rockstar titles like the GTA Trilogy and Red Dead Redemption, as well as exclusive in-game locations and a monthly $1 million bonus for GTA+ members.
However, many players feel the increased cost is not justified by the current benefits. "Nothing justifies jumping the price by 35% for no apparent reason. I'm normally the one to quash people who rapidly conclude that anything they don't like is because [R]ockstar just wants money -- but this move really is," commented Reddit user u/Happy8Day.
While Rockstar has not provided an explanation for the price hike, industry analysts suggest it may be an attempt to squeeze even more revenue out of the extremely profitable GTA Online platform. With Take-Two's upcoming investor call just a month away, the publisher will likely face questions about the changes and potential impacts.
It isn't clear how accurate a picture we're getting of the overall impact and response — historically GTA Online's active community present on various discussion boards only ever represented a tiny fraction of its overall playerbase, to a greater extreme than is normal with these popular multiplayer titles. Is the average subscriber as incensed?
GTA+ subscribers will be watching closely to see if there are any as-yet unannounced additional benefits to accompany the price increase. For now though, many appear to be voting with their wallets, taking to social media to discuss canceling their memberships.
