With the Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct done and dusted, there's plenty to be excited about, but the thrill of Grand Theft Auto 6's release. Mario Kart World will be coming out with the Switch 2 on June 5th, but it comes with a price tag that breaks tradition. With rumors swirling about a potentially high price point for GTA 6, this new step-up makes it hard to have faith that Rockstar's next big game will be as affordable as I'd like.

The price of games is always fluctuating based on any number of factors, from the economy of the purchasing player's home country to the compensation the devs negotiate for with their studios, With new American tariffs making games more expensive, American players (and likely many others in the West) are feeling this acutely. Mario Kart World is set to be priced at $80, which I would argue is just too high.

Mario Kart World Breaks The $70 Standard

As Nintendo Does, So Too Will The Rest Follow

While Nintendo didn't mention the price point of Mario Kart World in the Switch 2 Direct, a $79.99 MSRP is visible on the official Nintendo website. With this change, Nintendo breaks the tacitly-agreed-upon upper limit for game prices that was previously set at $70, setting a new standard for other game studios.

As a kid, I taking my $40 in cash, most of it in quarters that my grandma gave me, to GameStop to buy my very own copy of Pokémon HeartGold, which was released in the US when I was nine years old. Now, that same game would cost about $60 ing for inflation. Home console games are a different story, as they've stayed behind the inflation curve compared to some points in history, but no major release before Mario Kart World has cost $80.

Mario Kart World will also be available in a bundle with the Switch 2, which will retail for $499 as opposed to the Switch 2's $449 price.

There's something to be said about how games getting more complex helps justify the price increase, taking more devs, more QA, and more time to produce. Nonetheless, it's a worrying trend in an industry where, in an interview with GamesIndustry, a major studio director has said players need to get used to not owning their games. Nintendo's company approach is less likely to adopt this mindset, especially considering the introduction of GameShare as a way to make playing games more widely accessible, but it doesn't seem to be above asking more from fans in other areas.

GTA 6 Price Rumors Might Be A Real Threat

Now That Nintendo Has Opened The Floodgates, Rockstar Games Might Be Swept In The Current

Most game studios have been setting their big-ticket releases at $70 for the past couple of years, but now that Nintendo has broken the seal on $80 mainline games, a $100 price tag on GTA 6 is more likely than it previously seemed. The game is inarguably the most widely anticipated title of the year, and Rockstar can almost get away with a lot in of price and release window.

In almost any circumstance, GTA 6 is going to be a hit. With Nintendo pushing the envelope closer and closer to that $100 mark, seeing that sort of price on GTA 6 wouldn't even surprise me, even if there's been room for skepticism about this rumor.

There's a fine line between making more money and alienating your player base, and Rockstar will certainly do everything it can to get as many sales as possible.

Modern games are embracing excessive monetization in increasing numbers, but they're also walking some of these decisions back thanks to player outrage. Overwatch 2 recently re-introduced free lootboxes to its game after their removal and subsequent lambasting by players a few years ago, and gacha games like Infinty Nikki are giving players more free pulls than ever. While live-service games have to make money, trusting studios to do so without harming players can be tricky business.

That being said, I wouldn't get too discouraged too quickly. While players have very little power over the pricing and monetization of a game, they do have some influence. There's a fine line between making more money and alienating your player base, and Rockstar will certainly do everything it can to get as many sales as possible. Unfortunately, that decision is up to market researchers at Rockstar, so there's nothing to be done outside of making noise online regarding your hopes for the game and its price.

AAA Games Are Likely Getting More Expensive Across The Board

This Increase Is More Than Tariffs

GTA 6 isn't the only game that's likely to see a price hike in the coming years; publishers are continually seeking more and more opportunities for monetization, and the market is the only thing holding them back. As players get used to paying $80 for games, it's an easy jump to $90 and then even $100 becoming the average price point for AAA titles. Even games like Forspoken, which built up relatively little anticipation before its release because of its dialogue, retailed for $70, proving that even the most average of AAA games benefits from a new standard being set.

Bigger studios can market any of their new releases as AAA games, a title which supposedly justifies a higher price point than indie and smaller game releases. However, whether more big studios will follow in Nintendo's footsteps with $80 titles remains to be seen. As most players know, not every AAA game is a hit, and at the end of the day, it's consumers who will decide whether a game is a success.

Players appreciate hard work and heart being put into their games, and are willing to pay quite a bit when their trust in a studio has been well-earned.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is on track to be the biggest release of 2025 (if there are no delays that push it back), and it's an iconic series. Its status as a highly anticipated game means that many players will willingly fork over $100 to play it, but this step from Nintendo with Mario Kart World and any subsequent moves by Rockstar have ramifications far beyond the scope of those two publishers. As the prices of everything go up, it's important for studios to be on the ball, providing high-quality and affordable games to the consumers who trust them.

Source: Nintendo, GamesIndustry