Rockstar Games slammed after “iniquitous” offer to buyout Heaven 17’s song for Grand Theft Auto VI

British synth-pop band Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware recently posted on Twitter/X that he declined an offer from Rockstar Games to use one of their 1980’s hit singles, Temptation, in Grand Theft Auto VI.

He stated that Rockstar had offered $7,500 in exchange for a buyout of any future royalties from the game.

IT WAS $7500 – for a buyout of any future royalties from the game – forever…

To put this in context, Grand Theft Auto 6 grossed, wait for it…

$8.6 BILLION

Ah, but think of the exposure…

Go fuck yourself

— Martyn Ware 🦉 (@martynware) September 7, 2024

First excited to be contacted, Ware was shocked and disappointed by the final amount offered. He also mentioned that further negotiations were refused by Rockstar Games.

In a later post, Ware compared the $8.6 billion revenue from the series’ last game to the sum offered, claiming that music is worth far more to a game than what Rockstar proposed.

Responding to fans who emphasised the exposure his song would gain, Ware maintained that the offer was still “iniquitous”.

“I’ve worked in artist rights advocacy for 20 years. I know the game. This is iniquitous… For those claiming Heaven 17 should have accepted the extremely low offer for buyout for Temptation in GTA 6 claiming ‘increased exposure’… An extra 1million streams generates each writer a pitiful $1k each”, said Ware.

The long-awaited Grand Theft Auto VI is arguably the most anticipated upcoming release in gaming. From its previously confirmed leaks, the studio has reportedly allocated around $2 billion for its budget. The game is set to release in 2025.