Musician Martyn Ware claimed Rockstar extended him and Heaven 17 an offer to put their song, ‘Temptation’ in GTA 6 – until they saw the amount they were going to be paid for the inclusion.
Grand Theft Auto is one of the most profitable media properties of all time, with GTA 5 alone selling over 200 million copies. It’s one of the most-sold games of all time.
Musician and composer Martyn Ware claims that Rockstar extended him an offer to put Heaven 17’s 1983 hit, ‘Temptation’, in the game.
And, while he was initially excited by the opportunity, the amount Ware claims Rockstar offered him for the song was, to him, insulting.
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 BILLIONAh, but think of the exposure…Go fuck yourself
— Martyn Ware 🦉 (@martynware) September 7, 2024
“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,” he exclaimed. “Ah, but think of the exposure… Go f**k yourself.”
It’s pretty safe to assume that Martyn Ware wasn’t happy with the amount they were asking for, and that we won’t be hearing Temptation in GTA 6 unless Rockstar’s willing to fork over a better offer if Ware’s account is true.
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At the time it was released, The Luxury Gap went Platinum thanks in large part to Temptation’s popularity, with the song standing the test of time as one of Heaven 17’s most memorable tracks alongside other popular songs like ‘Let Me Go’ and ‘Come Live with Me’.
As for the game itself, GTA 6 doesn’t even have a release date yet, with it only having a loose release window of 2025. The series is known for being chock full of music, with a huge variety of tracks being featured in most of the franchise’s modern entries.
The series’ radio is one of the most iconic parts of the franchise, with satirical radio advertisements being mixed in with tracks from every genre under the sun. However, if Ware’s claims are true, it’s unclear what other reps in the franchise were paid to have their music featured.
To get his attention, though? They’d have to make him an offer that can’t be ignored.
Neither Rockstar or Take Two have addressed Ware’s claims about the amount Ware was offered for the song.