You Can't Make GTA 6 for $10 Million", Warns Josef Fares - Players For Life | Gaming News, Reviews & Creative Media Hub

Key Takeaways

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The success of AA games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sparked debates about the future of game development, with some suggesting major companies should produce more AA titles.
Josef Fares, creator of It Takes Two and Split Fiction, cautioned against fixating on trends and emphasized the need for variety in game development, stating that both AAA and AA games are crucial.
Grand Theft Auto 6, with an estimated budget of $1–2 billion, exemplifies the scale of AAA game development. The game promises ultra-realistic visuals, a vibrant open world, and advanced AI systems.
Fares praised innovative AAA developers like Naughty Dog, Rockstar Games, and Nintendo for pushing boundaries with large AAA projects despite high budgets often deterring most companies.

Josef Fares Warns Against AA Trend Overshadowing AAA Space in Game Development

The success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sparked a debate about the viability of AA game development, with some industry figures like those at Square Enix suggesting major companies should emulate Sandfall Interactive’s approach and produce more AA titles. However, Josef Fares, creator of It Takes Two and Split Fiction, expressed concern that publishers might overreact to the success of one AA game and abandon the AAA space. In an April 24, 2025, article in The Game Business, Fares cautioned against fixating on trends, such as AA or indie games, and emphasized the need for variety, stating, “It’s crucial not to get stuck in ideas that AA is the new thing or indie is the new thing…We need both.” Fares noted that many AA games released in 2025 generated little interest, while some AAA developers continue to innovate.

A Billion-Dollar Bet on GTA 6’s Ultra-Realistic Gameplay and Advanced AI Systems

To illustrate the scale of AAA game development, consider Rockstar Games’ upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, which has an estimated budget of $1–2 billion. Rockstar is allocating approximately $1 billion for development, with the remainder covering marketing and online services. The game promises ultra-realistic visuals, a vibrant open world, and advanced AI systems. By comparison, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) had an estimated budget of around $300 million.

Fares Emphasizes Importance of AAA Games and Praise for Innovative AAA Developers like Naughty Dog, Rockstar, and Nintendo

Fares then stated, “You hear that after successes like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, AA games will dominate, but I couldn’t survive without AAA games. I want to play those blockbusters.” He added that “you can’t make a Grand Theft Auto for 10 million,” expressing his hope that publishers will not “merely look at a successful game like Expedition and think oh, AA is the new thing. Let’s do only this.” Fares cited Naughty Dog, Rockstar Games, and Nintendo as examples of companies attempting to push boundaries with large AAA projects. “I would argue that Naughty Dog is trying to break innovation barriers in the AAA budget. I’d say Rockstar and Nintendo do this,” he explained, noting that while budgets of $100 million or more may deter most companies, they also allow for innovation.

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