GTA 6 will not have an online mode at launch, but fans are split on when exactly it will arrive and if it’ll be a free add-on like GTA Online.
While Rockstar has finally confirmed how much GTA 6 will cost, now that pre-orders are live, there remains a lot of unanswered questions about the game, despite it being only five months away from release.
There’s still no raw gameplay footage, showing what GTA 6 looks like when someone’s actually playing it, and even story details are very vague, with Rockstar only saying that the game’s about a criminal couple who get caught up in a statewide conspiracy after a failed bank heist.
Perhaps the biggest question on fans’ minds, though, is what is Rockstar planning for GTA 6’s online multiplayer, as it’s confirmed that GTA 6 will be a ‘single-player experience’ at launch.
GTA 5’s multiplayer, GTA Online, has been a consistent money maker for Rockstar since it launched in 2013 and its popularity is a key contributor to the game’s overwhelming sales success.
Back in 2024, it was reported that a ‘significant online mode’ was being planned for GTA 6, which suggests that it will be its own thing and not just a continuation of GTA Online, but little has ever been said about it.
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Whether GTA 6 introduces a GTA Online 2, or somehow expands on the existing GTA Online, is perhaps the biggest question about the entire game and so far there’s no indication from Rockstar as to what they’ll do.
Over on Reddit, the common consensus is that GTA Online 2 will arrive shortly after GTA 6, with some suggesting it could be another few weeks or a couple of months.
That’s how GTA 5’s online multiplayer was handled on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as GTA Online didn’t launch until October 1, which was a couple of weeks after GTA 5 hit store shelves.
However, a similar offset would have the online mode launching in December, which is a month most video games usually avoid when it comes to major launches. Rockstar may feel GTA 6 is so big it doesn’t matter but the more obvious choice is to wait until early 2027.
Although that would be very awkward for the many publishers that plan to launch their games at the same time, in an attempt to steer clear of GTA 6’s November release.
There are other factors to consider, such as development time. Reports point to GTA 6’s online mode functioning similarly to Roblox, allowing players to create their own content, that they can then sell to others. Such features are not present in GTA Online, so GTA Online 2 may need more time in the oven if Rockstar wants these features available from the get-go.
A more important factor, though, is the existence of GTA Online in general. As Alinea Analytics’ Rhy Elliott puts it, GTA 6’s biggest competition will be GTA 5, since many players may not be convinced to jump ship to GTA 6’s new online mode if they can’t carry all their progress from GTA Online over and have to start from scratch.
Many use GTA Online as a means of spending time with their friends. If one or two members can’t or won’t migrate to GTA Online 2, the rest won’t move either, which is a perennial problem with online games, as exemplified by Destiny and Destiny 2.
Rockstar could shut down GTA Online and force everyone over to GTA Online 2, but that’d be an act of self sabotage since aside from a widespread backlash, Rockstar would be cutting off a key source of revenue.
Another question fans are pondering is whether GTA Online 2 will actually be included with GTA 6 or require a separate purchase; something that was rumoured to be the case last year.
The current GTA Online is also available separately for £19.99, but anyone who owns GTA 5 gets it for free.
On Reddit, some fans have expressed concern that buying GTA 6 doesn’t guarantee access to the online multiplayer, sparking discussions on whether they would play GTA Online 2 if they had to pay extra for it.
‘Not for that price,’ says Icy-Champion2680, referring to GTA 6’s $80 price tag in the US, ‘but if they decided to sell online for around half the price of the main game, I would play the story on console and just get online for PC.’
Some agree, while others say they’d refuse to pay extra, though many don’t expect Rockstar to charge extra for it to begin with. ‘I doubt they would charge for it; it’s a live service money printer. Fairly certain it will be free and once you’re in, it’s all microtransactions,’ says LittleBIGman83.
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