One of the biggest recent announcements surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 was its price, with pre-orders going live and revealing that the AAA juggernaut would cost around $80. With its Ultimate Edition adding tons of content for a increased price of $100, AAA gaming is getting more expensive than ever, with some players labeling projects like GTA 6 the “dawn of AAAA” as a result. GTA 6‘s price tag could lead other games to follow suit, matching its price due to the scale of the title being created by large development groups.
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Plenty of upcoming AAA games have already released their prices, such as Marvel’s Wolverine coming out in September 2026. Most of these games cost around $69.99, reflecting a different jump in price from the standard $60 cost players typically associated with new titles for a long time. With the launch of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, game prices are only getting bigger to match rising development costs, especially as AAA games still focus on being extremely detailed or cinematic experiences.
5. Persona 6
Although not much is known about Persona 6 right now, several internal reports suggest the game is likely to come out next year, allegedly within the September 2027 time frame. With the Persona 4: Revival remake title coming out early in that year, it makes sense that Atlus’ next entry to the series would take priority moving forward from that release. Persona 6 is slated to be a bold, ambitious new game in an iconic JRPG series, packed with hundreds of hours of content if past examples are to be followed.
The scale of Persona games are always staggering, with players sometimes needing to complete multiple runs that last dozens of hours before seeing everything the game has to offer. Unique character relationships and various story events can easily be missed, adding layers to the content of any Persona title. Persona 6 is aimed to not only repeat series traditions, but surpass them through a standalone story with plenty of firsts for the franchise.
Already, Atlus has shared that the game will have a occult-like tone, almost returning to its roots of supernatural horror. The visuals of the game’s teaser trailer are already haunting, with depictions of a mass grave and accusing hands suggesting a darker atmosphere than the vibrant high school settings of Persona 4 or Persona 5. Due to this, Persona 6 might be the largest game in the series yet, therefore justifying a higher cost similar to GTA 6.
4. Pokรฉmon Winds and Waves
Some reports already list Pokรฉmon Winds and Waves as $79.99 in cost, even before Nintendo has confirmed any official information. Despite the fact that this $80 estimate is only for physical copies of either game version, the higher cost of the 10th Generation of Pokรฉmon was something many fans have been expecting. This title a brand-new entry to the legendary pocket monster collecting phenomenon, while also representing a series milestone that places a lot of expectations for the title anyway.
With fans eagerly desiring a new Pokรฉmon experience, the cost of the series has gradually gone up, as developers can always expect a high number of purchases even if game prices get bigger. Complaints about Pokรฉmon‘s dip in quality over the years didn’t stop many players from purchasing the spin-off Pokรฉmon Legends: Z-A, which was largely praised for its innovations to the series battle systems. A whole roster of new Pokรฉmon are coming with Pokรฉmon Winds and Waves, generating untold levels of fan excitement as players discover new creatures to fall in love with.
As the first Pokรฉmon title to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2, Winds and Waves has a chance to expand the 3D experience of the series in ways not seen since the Nintendo 3DS. This could mean a true open world for players to explore, expanding upon ideas seen in Pokรฉmon Scarlet and Violet from the previous Generation. Other innovations are anticipated to create one of the more ambitious games Pokรฉmon has done in a long time, but this means that players may need to pay more to play than ever.
3. The Witcher 4
The planned 2027 release window for The Witcher 4 marks the next big project for studio CD Projekt Red, as well as the return of arguably their most popular RPG series. The accolades for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are well known, to the point where that game is receiving new DLC nearly a decade after its original launch. Winner of Game of the Year back in 2015, The Witcher 3 is a landmark in gaming, with The Witcher 4 aimed to be even bigger and better than its predecessor.
The Witcher 4 may follow a new protagonist in Ciri, but it would be shocking if it didn’t include many of the mainstay features that made The Witcher 3 and past games in the series beloved. A large open world for players to explore, a branching narrative based off choices, and a wealth of side quests to follow are just a tip of the iceberg for what this game could present. Refined through Unreal Engine 5, the visuals and gameplay of The Witcher 4 are meant to be the most polished that CD Projekt Red has ever made, which is a bold claim based on their last project.
Many of the lessons of Cyberpunk 2077 are expected to be applied to The Witcher 4, a game that already looks to be years ahead of its time. The massive quality of this game could push its price tag to be equal to GTA 6‘s, especially since it is designed to be played only on modern systems. The larger than life nature of this title might easily create something more expensive for players, with different editions certainly passing GTA 6‘s contentious price point.
2. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation
As the conclusion of the Final Fantasy 7 remake series, Revelation is going to be a massive game for players to explore. For starters, initial footage shows a much larger world than Remake or Rebirth, letting players navigate the Highwind airship to travel and drop into whatever region of the world they want. Based on comments from the game’s development team, more endgame and optional content expand Revelation in ways past titles couldn’t, giving players a definitive experience meant to answer long-held questions and provide a satisfying finale.
The addition of new playable characters Cid and Vincent Valentine is but one of the new gameplay systems coming to FF7 Revelation as well. The FITS mechanic assigning traditional JRPG “jobs” to party members to customize playstyles combines with other gear and combat systems that have been evolving since FF7 Remake. Huge boss battles against Weapons and the largest story in the remake series yet all extend what has been possible, making an $80 price tag more than likely in the process.
1. Tomb Raider: Catalyst
Tomb Raider: Catalyst is set for a 2027 launch, some time soon after the release of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis creates a remake of the series’ first title. Unlike that remaster, Catalyst is an entirely new entry for Tomb Raider fans to enjoy, but that comes with many new features, a never-before-seen setting, and much more content than any game in the franchise has seen before. Early details claim that Catalyst takes place long after Tomb Raider: Underworld, featuring a veteran Lara Croft for the first time in several years.
Many early bits of information shared by developers have suggested that Tomb Raider: Catalyst will be fully open-world, utilizing Unreal Engine 5 to create a seamless environment for players to navigate. Tactical combat merges with continuous maps to perhaps make the most demanding Tomb Raider game yet from a performance point of view. Multiple layers of platforming and a large-scale location of Northern India communicates a lot of ambition surrounding this project, easily making it one AAA game with plenty of work behind it.
Unfortunately, the size of this project might cause it to mimic GTA 6, raising its price due to how big of an experience it tries to market to potential players. Based on the number of gameplay expansions, performance features, and other details for the game so far, it is one more than likely to adopt an increased pricing model. While many players may not want to buy Tomb Raider: Catalyst for $80, it may be one of the biggest games to share GTA 6‘s price, helping create a new baseline other AAA titles could follow.
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