Grand Theft Auto 6 is a highly anticipated release from Rockstar, having taken the longest time to develop out of the series due to the continuing success of GTA 5’s online component. While GTA 6 will surely push the series into a new era, there are likely to be features introduced in its predecessor that will carry over. GTA Online has maintained its long-term success in large part due to the microtransactions it brought to the franchise in the form of Shark Card virtual currency packs. Despite the controversial nature of microtransactions, GTA 6 is sure to continue these record profits by including this form of them in its online mode.
In the modern gaming landscape filled with free-to-play games, season passes, and skins, it’s no surprise that a game's microtransaction sales have become one of the dominant forms of income for many companies in the industry. GTA Online has been tapped into the market for years due to its Shark Cards generating hundreds of millions of dollars for Rockstar’s publisher, Take-Two Interactive. It’s highly unlikely that Take-Two would forego this massive source of income with the upcoming title, especially considering the fact that GTA Online is still supported with updates to this day.
Red Dead Online's Gold Bars Already Continued an MTX Trend
Following the precedent set by GTA Online for years, Red Dead Redemption 2’s online mode would feature its own in-game purchases. Red Dead Online’s Gold Bars are equivalent to the Shark Cards of GTA, the system adapted between time periods but functioning exactly the same. With more attention still being given to GTA Online versus Red Dead Online, Take-Two is even more likely to want Rockstar to lean into GTA 6’s online mode monetization. Long-term microtransaction purchases from players are even probably intended to be relied upon for serving to keep the game alive for years after its release.
It’s still unknown if GTA 6 will be complete with an online multiplayer mode upon its release, something the series hasn’t seen since GTA 4 back in 2008. GTA 6 launching with a successor to GTA Online alongside its traditional single-player story would be sure to allow the online component to define the game from the beginning, in contrast to its predecessor. GTA 5 players had to wait after its initial single-player content release for the online mode to be delivered in an update that was only fleshed out with subsequent patches over the years.
Microtransactions in Grand Theft Auto Have Always Been Controversial
GTA 6 focusing on online from its release would continue to cement the franchise’s association with in-game monetization and long-term updates, a direction that has proven to be both divisive and extremely profitable. Long-time fans of GTA Online have gone through countless updates from Rockstar that have formed the game into the industry powerhouse it is today, but this hasn’t come without some derision. GTA Online's imbalance and price increases have drawn criticism from players, as the game's many content updates have built up a wealth of pricey in-game goods that make a big difference in Los Santos.
The record profits seen by GTA Online’s tenure as one of the biggest games of all time are sure to almost guarantee that its primary monetization method sees a return in the next game. According to now infamous GTA 6 leaks, Rockstar is in full development with only the single-player being known to exist. With GTA 5’s original lifespan being massively extended by the success of its pioneering online mode, the follow-up is surely intended to be able to last just as long at least. GTA Online is all but sure to return with its notorious Shark Cards, but it remains to be seen just how far GTA 6’s online will go with microtransactions.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently in development.