While fans are still counting down the months until GTA 6 finally drops in May 2026, one former Rockstar Games developer is already thinking ahead to GTA 7.
Obbe Vermeij, who served as a technical director on several classic GTA titles from the PS2 era through GTA IV, recently made headlines for saying that the next entry in the franchise could cost significantly less to make than its upcoming predecessor.
It’s not Rockstar scaling down; it’s that AI is driving major changes in how games are made.
How Could AI Lower the Cost of GTA 7?
According to Vermeij, by the time Rockstar starts working on GTA 7 (which could still be more than a decade away), AI will be capable of handling the time-consuming, repetitive parts of development.
GTA 6 might end up holding the title of “most expensive game ever made,” with a rumored budget hovering around the $1 billion mark. But that level of spending might not be necessary next time around.
Things like prototyping cutscenes, animating basic conversations, or laying out large world areas might be done faster and cheaper with generative tools. Vermeij believes AI will handle basic tasks so artists and developers can focus on Rockstar’s creative vision instead of losing their jobs.
How Might AI Handle Cutscenes in the Future?
In an interview with KIWI TALKZ, he explained how AI might eventually generate full drafts of scenes based on simple prompts.
AI can take a cutscene description, create visuals, animate characters, and simulate dialogue for the human team to build on. The same goes for environmental design and programming logic, which Vermeij says are already shifting toward automation.
He noted that when he first started, programmers made up a third of the team. Now, they’re a smaller slice, and AI could shrink that even more.
Will AI Replace Creatives at Rockstar?
That said, he’s not claiming AI will write the story, shape the game’s tone, or replace the magic that Rockstar is known for.
In fact, Vermeij was clear that human talent is still essential to polish, debug, and breathe life into the experience. His point is more about how AI will shift how the work is done—not who does the meaningful parts.
Still, the discussion has stirred up some controversy. Fans are worn out by AI-generated rubbish and resist a future where crafted art is replaced by mass-produced work.
It’s also worth noting that Vermeij left Rockstar in 2009, and while he’s clearly experienced, his predictions may not align with the company’s current philosophy. Rockstar has always prided itself on its attention to detail, and a few players worry that too much automation might dilute that quality.
Ultimately, his claim that GTA 7 will be cheaper than GTA 6 is a prediction, not a guarantee. And it’ll take at least 10–15 years before we know whether he’s right.
But in an industry where budgets keep ballooning, and delays are the norm, it’s not hard to see why some developers are betting on new tools to help lighten the load.
For now, though, all eyes are still locked on GTA 6—and the massive expectations that come with it.
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