Martyn Ware, a key figure in 80s synthpop band Heaven 17, has voiced his frustration with Rockstar Games over what he described as a “no-royalties” deal for his hit song Temptation.

Ware, also a founding member of The Human League, revealed on social media platform Xitter that Rockstar offered $7,500 for a full buyout of the song’s rights for Grand Theft Auto 6, which would eliminate any future royalty payments. Expressing disbelief, Ware wrote: “Naturally, I was excited about the potential windfall from the offer. Then I saw the amount—$7,500 for a full buyout, no future royalties… for a game expected to gross $8.6 billion. As for exposure, they can go f*** themselves.”

The issue seems to stem from the “full buyout” nature of the offer, which would give Rockstar complete control over the track, avoiding any future renegotiations or licensing fees. This practice is not uncommon in the gaming industry, where remasters or updates, like Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, often lose tracks due to expired licensing deals. A similar situation occurred recently when Alan Wake was updated, resulting in the removal of David Bowie’s Space Oddity.

Rockstar’s alleged lowball offer has ignited conversation about fair compensation for artists in the gaming world, especially for a franchise as successful as GTA.