Heaven 17 responds to measly offer by ‘Grand Theft Auto’ game: “Go fuck yourself”
Grand Theft Auto has long since been on the upper echelon of video games, and it is easy to see why. Aside from the ability for players to commit heinous crimes – whether they be inciting gang warfare, beating innocent pedestrians, or pulling off countless carjackings – the series also features an incredible soundtrack. However, Rockstar Games have come under fire for their treatment of musical artists ahead of Grand Theft Auto VI next year.
The iconic in-game radio stations have been an integral part of the GTA universe since the release of Grand Theft Auto III back in 2001. Over the years, the game has featured music by everybody from Lee “Scratch” Perry to The Stone Roses, and each instalment of the series seems to expand upon the radio feature. For the long-awaited sixth game in the series, Rockstar Games were apparently pursuing Sheffield synthpop pioneers Heaven 17 to use their track ‘Temptation’.
Initially released in 1983, ‘Temptation’ quickly became the Sheffield outfit’s defining track, reaching the dizzying heights of number two in the UK singles chart. Rockstar Games, based in Dundee, has always had a soft spot for 1980s synthpop, as shown by their use of Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’ on GTA San Andreas. However, Martyn Ware, of both The Human League and Heaven 17, was not overjoyed upon seeing Rockstar’s offer to use the iconic track.
Writing on X, Ware shared a series of posts about the offer, beginning, “I was recently contacted by my publishers on behalf of Rockstar Games re the possibility of using ‘Temptation’ on the new Grand Theft Auto 6.” Expanding, the composer wrote, “Naturally excited about the immense wealth that was about to head my way, I scrolled to the bottom of the email re the offer…”
According to Ware, “[the offer] was $7,500 – for a buyout of any future royalties from the game – forever…” adding, “To put this in context, Grand Theft Auto 6 grossed, wait for it… $8.6 billion.” Concluding his public service announcement against Rockstar, Ware sarcastically wrote, “Ah, but think of the exposure…” before finishing, “Go fuck yourself.”
These are harsh words, but then Ware has been in the music industry for upwards of four decades now and has likely already seen his fair share of measly deals and offers. However, fellow musicians, such as the Cocteau Twins’ Simon Raymonde, implored Ware to reconsider, replying, “GTA had around 440 songs in the last game, so really that fee for 1 (albeit brilliant) song is normal. Might seem low but if they pay $7,500 each then that’s 3.3 million on the music alone.”
Fans will have to wait until the latter half of 2025 to determine whether Grand Theft Auto VI will feature ‘Temptation’. Rockstar has given the instalment, which will be the first new game in the series since 2013, a very loose release date, with some sources even suggesting it could be pushed back as far as 2026.
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