Gaming

GTA 6 Online Will Reportedly Release as a Standalone Game

Grand Theft Auto 6’s online mode will reportedly release as a standalone game separate from its story mode.

GTA 6 Online will reportedly be available as its own game, separate from the single player at launch. Rockstar Games is known for creating some of the richest open worlds in all of gaming across Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto, and even smaller titles like Bully. The studio has an eye for detail and knows how to immerse players in ways other studios can’t thanks to its large staff and seemingly endless budgets. Rockstar really stepped things up with GTA Online in 2013 and have created a juggernaut that no other game has come remotely close to rivaling.

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Not only does it have no shortage of enjoyable content, but it has been supported for going on 12 years and has retained millions of players. Rockstar Games tried to replicate this with Red Dead Online, but didn’t really succeed. However, GTA 6 will likely have an incredibly ambitious online mode that will take into account longevity that GTA 5 didn’t really plan for. As of right now, Rockstar Games has yet to say anything about what its online mode will look like, as they haven’t even released the second GTA 6 trailer. Technically, they haven’t even announced the online mode, but given the cash cow GTA Online has been, it’s impossible to imagine there isn’t a follow-up in GTA 6.

GTA 6 Online Will Reportedly Be Sold Separately

gta 6

With all of that said, one big rumor suggests there will be a big difference from GTA Online with GTA 6. According to Rockstar Games insider Tez2, Rockstar Games is planning to release GTA 6 Online as a standalone game at launch, meaning you won’t have to buy the full game or the story mode to play the multiplayer. GTA 5 eventually spun out its online into a standalone game in 2022, nine years after its initial release for the launch of the current-gen versions of the game. Red Dead Online also released as a standalone game a couple of years after Red Dead Redemption 2‘s release. All of this allowed Rockstar the chance to get people into the games at a lower cost.

However, Tez2 says there won’t be any kind of wait for the standalone release. Instead, players will be able to decide whether they want the compete package with the story mode and GTA 6 Online or if they just want to play the online at a cheaper cost. Theoretically, this could lead to GTA 6 Online being available for $40 or so, which makes it a much more affordable package. Players can still enjoy the game and upgrade to get the story mode later if they choose. While the complete version of GTA 6 will make heaps of money regardless and likely be the dominant version on release, GTA 6 Online will be the overall money maker.

Rockstar Games monetizes its online modes with lots of microtransactions and subscriptions to ensure a steady stream of revenue even after players have bought into the game. All of this is optional, but it does help keep Rockstar going and allows the free updates to make money. By generating billions of dollars this way, it also gives Rockstar the luxury of taking its time to make new games. There isn’t pressure to release a new game to keep money flowing in because it’s constantly being generated by GTA Online. Nevertheless, this is all a big fat rumor right now and it could prove to be false despite Tez2’s track record.

Plans could change before launch, especially if Rockstar is just interested in maximizing how much money it can generate just from copies of the game at launch. Regardless, it wouldn’t be shocking if GTA 6 Online does go standalone at some point, whether that’s at launch or four years from now. As of right now, some fans are wondering what will happen to their GTA 5 characters when GTA 6 releases and while there are some rumors, Rockstar has yet to outline any plans of carrying over progress or anything.