GTA 6 fans are worried it’s going to be just another GTA Online
Every day, we inch slightly closer to the eventual release of the next Grand Theft Auto. After the first GTA 6 trailer broke the internet in December 2023, things have gone a little quiet for our liking. That was until Take-Two sneakily confirmed the next automotive adventure for a fall 2025 release window.
While we now know we'll be playing GTA 6 next Christmas, there are still plenty of questions. When are we getting another trailer, how long will PC owners have to wait until they can play, and what's going to happen to GTA Online?
GTA 6 fans worried it's going to turn into GTA Online
With GTA 6 already being dubbed the most important video game release of all time - and poised to overtake GTA V in terms of profits - there are obvious concerns that Take-Two is going to go hard on the microtransactions. Over on Reddit, u/MayvisDelacour said they're worried it's going to be just another GTA Online.
It seems they aren't alone in this, as someone else mused, "I wouldn't count on any single player DLC, Rockstar will focus on Online after launch. Online is their cash cow and they will try to keep it going for as long as possible."
Another added, "I know people don't want to hear it, given Rockstar's great track record, but I wouldn't be surprised if the campaign is, not half-assed, but not up to the standards players have," and a third said, "As long as the base game is single player and fun, I don’t care. I’m never ever playing GTA multiplayer."
Someone else joked, "Let me quickly do the calculations. Let's see. The chances that a company will try to repeat exactly what they did last time when they made the highest grossing piece of media entertainment of all time are…Oh would you look at that! 100%!"
The future's bright, the future's online
Click to enlargeThere are also questions about whether GTA 6 will lead to a massive GTA Online update or whether the base game will evolve into GTA Online 2.0 like Call of Duty did with Warzone. The idea that our 12 years of collecting cars and Shark Cards will be wasted is also keeping some of you up at night.
No one could've predicted the success of GTA Online back in the day, but as the industry has trundled on, we've seen a shift into a live service model. The likes of Call of Duty are some of the worst offenders, with the classic campaign being criticised amidst a focus on a seasonal roadmap. Hopefully, GTA 6 won't go down the same route.
Either way, GTA Online has arguably been too successful and has backed the core GTA fandom into a corner. Red Dead Redemption 2 proved that great storytelling can still be at the heart of a Rockstar outing, although we don't see a world where the next interaction of GTA Online doesn't rule the roost. After all, money talks.
