Summary
- GTA Online has become a vital part of the franchise, shaping the future of GTA games to come.
- GTA Online serves as a platform for new narratives and character developments, bridging the gap to GTA 6.
- Rockstar may connect GTA Online to GTA 6 multiplayer, offering players a link between the two worlds.
Grand Theft Auto Online has grown over the years to become a massive force for Rockstar, changing the dynamic of what kind of content and core experiences are expected from the franchise going forward. Multiplayer gameplay is now arguably just as important as single-player experiences for the IP, and this will have been at the forefront of Rockstar's approach to developing Grand Theft Auto 6.
Since its first iteration in 2013, Grand Theft Auto Online has become its own standalone release for the franchise, being an undeniably massive element of Grand Theft Auto 5's industry-topping commercial and cultural success. Away from its wacky high-octane races and sandbox fun, GTA Online has also been an excellent way of carrying forward the narrative of GTA 5, which has been a saving grace given the game's complete lack of any single-player expansions. This will more than likely continue in the near future and in the run-up to Grand Theft Auto 6's release, and GTA Online might be the perfect vehicle to give players the first in-game taste of GTA 6's story.
Why GTA 6's Gunplay and Combat Might Be its Biggest Question Mark
GTA 6 may have many components capable of making the headlines, but it needs a particularly emphatic answer in shooting and combat.
GTA Online Can Set Up the Key Places and Characters of Grand Theft Auto 6
Grand Theft Auto Online has garnered a surprising amount of narrative value over the years, with new sets of missions often released that feature a blend of new and returning characters. Iconic characters from the story of Grand Theft Auto 5 like Franklin and Lamar have appeared extensively in GTA Online narratives over the years, offering a fascinating insight into how the lives of these figures have changed following the events of the game's single-player story.
The likes of Lester Crest and Trevor Phillips have also appeared in GTA Online quite heavily since 2013, with the franchise's dominant online mode proving itself extremely useful in providing short bursts of extra narrative content tied to the campaign. With this in mind, it only seems right that Rockstar should include some GTA 6-related content in the immediate run-up to the game's release, and this could ease players into meeting some GTA 6 characters as well as learning more about Vice City.
While it might be unrealistic to suggest that GTA Online should allow players to visit parts of GTA 6's map or even come into direct contact with its two protagonists, supporting characters from GTA 6 could easily make their first franchise appearances in GTA Online. These characters could introduce players to important events that lead up to the foundations of GTA 6's story, perhaps detailing things like how Lucia was arrested and imprisoned.
GTA Online Also Needs to Connect Itself to GTA 6's Multiplayer
With how successful GTA Online has been for Rockstar, it seems likely that there will be some carry-forward system between the game and the online experience of GTA 6, and it would be good to narratively link players' GTA Online characters to the upcoming title. There could be future content that sees the player character having to move to Vice City to escape unwanted attention, or to pursue more lucrative criminal affairs, and featuring characters from GTA 6 in GTA Online would be a great way to set this up.
Of course, a single-player expansion to GTA 5 would be an even better way of setting up Grand Theft Auto 6, but it seems highly unlikely that Rockstar will finally deliver on story-mode DLC so late on into GTA 5's life cycle. While there were once plans for GTA 5 story expansions, they never came to fruition, with GTA Online being the most obvious avenue for any new narrative content for the game. Any future GTA Online content should not give too much away regarding GTA 6's core experience, but some early introductions and hints about the characters and world of the upcoming game would be a perfect reward for fans who have waited long enough for a new franchise entry.
- Released
- October 1, 2013
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- rockstar advanced game engine, euphoria
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Grand Theft Auto
