Grand Theft Auto 5’s online component,Grand Theft Auto Online, has taken on a life of its own after the game’s original launch in 2013. Over the years,Grand Theft Auto Onlinehas received numerous updates to add new vehicles, customization options, missions, and weapons for players to have fun with and spend their hard-earned cash on. The mode has been so successful for developer Rockstar Games that it will launch beside the PlayStation 5 version ofGrand Theft Auto 5as a standalone release this Fall.
Fans ofGrand Theft Auto Onlinehave speculated what changes this could lead to for the mode. Rockstar has not revealed any information on what it has planned for the mode’s future, but there are many hopes that players hope to see improved, like theplayer housing options inGrand Theft Auto Online. While Rockstar’s path of future updates is still unknown, the developers could find a successful peer in the popular free-to-play battle royaleCall of Duty: Warzone.
RELATED:Grand Theft Auto 5 Jumps Up Sales Charts After Leaving Xbox Game Pass
Call of Duty: Warzone’s Role in the Series
Call of Duty: Warzonelaunched as a battle royale component of 2019’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare. Since the game’s launch, it has received seasonal updates to add new weapons and operators to keep things fresh for players.Call of Duty: Warzone’s biggest secret to success, however, is how it integratedModern Warfare’s follow-up,Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, into the game shortly after its release. It willdo the same with this year’sCall of Duty: Vanguard, although fans are hoping that the process will go a bit smoother thanBlack Ops Cold War’s did, which is infamous for messing up the game’s gun meta for months afterward.
Despite those initial issues,Call of Duty: Warzonehas continued to expandwith elements from the series' history and new entries, including developing its own contained storyline. This has allowed players to get much more invested inWarzonethan they otherwise would have, and has led to it claiming a place near the top of the battle royale genre.Warzone’s integration with previous titles has also allowed it to keep players invested in one hub for the series, rather than leaving each entry behind to play the newestCall of Dutyrelease. Not only has this helped the series maintain its player numbers, but it also has given the game plenty to pull from for its updates and events.
Why Grand Theft Auto Online Should Follow Warzone’s Lead
This is the primary reason thatGrand Theft Auto Onlineshould follow the example set byCall of Duty: Warzone.Grand Theft Auto Onlinehas helpedGrand Theft Auto 5routinely appear at the top of best-seller charts nearly a decade after its release. Of course, there areother games fans ofGrand Theft Autocan play, but many stay put inGrand Theft Auto Onlinethanks to its immense scale and depth of content for players to unlock and play around with. With how much time and effort players have already invested in the online mode, Rockstar Games would have a much harder time trying to get players to move on to a similar mode inGrand Theft Auto 6than if they just updatedGrand Theft Auto Onlinewith elements of the newer title.
RELATED:GTA Online Fans Discover Fast Way To Get Around The Map
Grand Theft Auto Onlinecould also learn fromCall of Duty: Warzonein how it supports itself with seasonal content and how it has used events to build hype for its future releases. Rumors have circulated before aboutGrand Theft Auto Onlineevents being used to announceGrand Theft Auto 6, and that would be a great way for Rockstar to use the platform it has built for itself. Using in-game events to announce new entries in the series would also help Rockstar Games reach an audience that is already interested in the title while also helping reward the players who have invested in the series.
What This Could Look Like For Grand Theft Auto Online
Grand Theft Auto Onlinecommitting to an approach similar toWarzone’s would open the game up to a lot of possibilities in tbe future. For the inevitable release ofGrand Theft Auto 6,Grand Theft Auto Onlinecould receive a massive graphical improvement on top of missions, items, and even a brand-new map for players who purchase the new game. The new game’s release could also be used toexpand on nearly every aspect ofGrand Theft Auto Online. Players could take on new mission types that are more cinematic and involved than anything else in the game currently, could get loads of new, higher resolution customization options, and could get more impressive and varied pieces of equipment.
The true potential of this approach comes to mind when consideringthe leakedGrand Theft Auto Remastered Trilogy. The leaked title reportedly bundles three classicGrand Theft Autotitles together and is a prime opportunity for Rockstar Games to unify the series withGrand Theft Auto Online. Not only would this help keep fans of the series in one hub, but it also could be a massive expansion for the online mode. Introducing the three unique cities from the remastered trilogy to the online mode could make it evolve to the dream of everyGrand Theft Autofan: an entire world map made of different sprawling cities that players can fly between.
This approach could help makeGrand Theft Auto Onlinean even more unique property while also drastically expanding the game for its massive fanbase. These additions would also help support the large roleplaying community that has been built around the game and has managed to dominate platforms like Twitch. It seems likely that Rockstar Games will at least consider an approach like this if it hasn’t already, as the lack of aGrand Theft Auto 6so many years after its predecessor seems to show that the company is hesitant to move away from its sprawling online mode. Hopefully, Rockstar will expand it in this way, which could firmlyseatGrand Theft Auto Onlineat the top of the series' tier list.
Grand Theft Auto Onlineis available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S version is in development.
MORE:Will Grand Theft Auto 6’s Single-Player Have the Same Impact as Red Dead 2’s
