Musician Martyn Ware, a founding member of the technopop bands The Human League and Heaven 17, shared that representatives from Rockstar, the developers of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, reached out to his music publisher. They offered a deal to license the song Temptation for use on one of the in-game radio stations in GTA 6.

Initially excited about the offer, Ware read through the letter from his publisher and found the proposed amount to be just $7,500 — the total amount he was offered for the song. One-time payment with no further royalties. Martyn Ware criticized Rockstar for the modest sum, highlighting the multibillion-dollar revenue that was earned from Grand Theft Auto 5 alone. Based on his statement, he turned down the offer.

There are many critics of the idea that big projects provide exposure and because of that may not pay as much money. While it may work for younger artists, Temptation was released in 1983, and Martyn Ware is 68 now. His career is successful enough, so it is understandable that such an offer couldn't bring enthusiasm.

GTA 6 is expected to be released in the fall of 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, while a PC release date has not yet been provided.

Main image: alphacoders.com

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