As excitement reaches a fever pitch for Grand Theft Auto VI, questions are being raised about GTA 6 Online and how Rockstar will expand its online multiplayer offering.
While Rockstar games before GTA V had included multiplayer modes (like GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption), they would be fairly rudimentary additions to their respective titles in comparison.
GTA V did what fans have been waiting for the long-running series to do—take the GTA experience and allow players to enjoy the entire open world (and all the shenanigans that come with it) with their friends.
Everything We Know About Grand Theft Auto 6 Online
After more than a decade of GTA V Online and over $8.5 billion of generated revenue, Rockstar is about ready to debut its next online multiplayer addition to the franchise with the upcoming GTA 6 and its online component.
GTA 6 online is expected to debut sometime on or around the game's launch—which has been the subject of much speculation over the last several months (read more about the latest GTA 6 release rumors here).
With what seems to be months before GTA 6's release, here is everything there is to know about its online mode:
GTA 6 Online Will Be 'Significant' in Scale
Word is that when GTA 6 Online is released, it will come with a "significant" content offering.
According to a December 2024 report on the game from Bloomberg, GTA 6 Online will be yet another major addition to the franchise and something that is "designed to generate revenue for years into the future:"
"The title will feature a significant online mode, selling in-game content designed to generate revenue for years into the future. That’s how Take‑Two kept 'GTA 5' going for more than a decade."
Seeing as the financial success GTA V Online was and continued to be more than a decade after its release, it would make sense why Rockstar seems to have such significant plans for its GTA Online follow-up.
After the base game has been purchased, this is where Rockstar (and parent company Take-Two Interactive will make the month after all).
This "significant" comment could be simply relating to the massive map GTA 6 is seemingly set to introduce and players being able to roam freely around it with their friends.
However, it may also hint at possible bigger plans for the online title, including staples of modern online gaming like Battle Passes, a living world to inhabit, and an ever-changing swath of content to enjoy.
GTA Online Is Rumored to Be Sold Separately From GTA 6
Some have speculated GTA 6 Online could break even more new ground for Rockstar Games, with the way it is actually sold through to customers.
Rockstar insider Tez2 teased fans in mid-January that there is a chance GTA 6 Online may be sold separately from the base game at launch.
While games like GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 have had their online modes broken out as standalone purchases in the years since their release, the well-known leaker posited, "[GTA 6] will be the first game where online is sold separately at launch:"
"R*/T2 already sells 'GTAO' & 'RDO' separately, but 'VI' will be the first game where online is sold separately at launch, while story mode will be part of the full package that covers both. They will have to factor the online standalone price into the total cost. What portion of the base price will be the online's price? And what would be the story mode upgrade price for those who've bought the online standalone?"
They believe this could potentially affect the game's baseline price for players wanting to purchase both the base game as well as Online at launch. They believe a package of the two will be available, but it could potentially boost the price of the game.
However, as Rockstar aims to get as many people into GTA 6 Online as possible, the developer may seek to price the online mode as cheaply as possible, taking a loss up front to hopefully make it up in the long-run within-game purchases.
What Features Will GTA 6 Online Introduce?
Of course, the biggest, most exciting point of conversation surrounding GTA 6 Online will be what new features the online mode brings to the GTA formulas.
First of all, the new game will almost surely fix the most common complaint with GTA V's online offering...its age.
GTA V Online felt old in places even when it was released, and that foundation (while remaining fun to play) lacks some of the quality-of-life accouterments that fans have come to know and expect from their online games.
Things like a proper lobby system or easy-to-use menus to jump from activity to activity without having to go back into the open world have remained completely absent from GTA V Online since its release. This will almost surely be something that is addressed in its follow-up.
Another place GTA 6 Online could innovate is in the world players occupy. While GTA V's online map remained almost entirely the same throughout its lifetime, GTA 6 could change that.
Some have speculated that GTA 6 Online's map could grow and change over time, potentially including other cities aside from Vice City and its surrounding areas as seen in the base game.
Bloomberg's Jason Schreier added fuel to this particular set of rumors, noting in his December 2024 report on the game, that it would be a "moderately sized release" at launch, but would come to grow over time.
This could hint at the rumored map expansion fans have been hoping for in the new title, offering an online experience that could last for a decade and beyond with constant changes for the player to enjoy.
GTA 6 is expected to be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S sometime this year. A new trailer for the game is reported to be imminent.
