5 reasons why a GTA Online successor could surpass GTA 5's multiplayer mode

A future GTA Online successor could easily become better and more successful than GTA 5's multiplayer mode. The latter game is officially known as Grand Theft Auto: Online. It has been extremely successful for Rockstar Games, receiving several updates through nearly a decade of its existence. Several Take-Two Interactive Earnings Calls have also referenced it as one of their primary contributors to net bookings.

However, the next game in the series (often called GTA 6, but its actual name was never officially revealed) could surpass its predecessor. For all intents and purposes, the upcoming unnamed Grand Theft Auto game's potential multiplayer will be referenced as a GTA Online successor or other similar phrases.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective.

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Here are five reasons why a theoretical GTA Online successor could surpass GTA 5's multiplayer mode

1) Newer game engine for better gameplay

GTA 5's multiplayer mode is based on a 2013 game engine. While it's fun, there is no denying that it feels sluggish in some regards, especially when compared to modern AAA games. Rockstar Games has historically made significant improvements in most regards when going from one mainline title to another.

That's why it's incredibly likely that GTA 6 will blow GTA 5 out of the water (not to mention the promising content found in the leaked videos). If the former game has the theoretical GTA Online successor, then its multiplayer experience should feel a lot better than its predecessor by default.

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2) Better graphics

Even the Expanded & Enhanced Edition leaves a bit to be desired graphically (Image via Rockstar Games)

Sequels tend to have better graphics than their predecessors when the art direction is focused on realism. GTA 5 looks fine, yet any future Grand Theft Auto game is expected to look much better. Hence, a successor to GTA Online should be the best-looking game in the series.

Graphics might not be everything. Still, there is no denying that some gamers love having the best visuals possible, as evident in how popular Grand Theft Auto V graphics mods tend to be.

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3) New patents could potentially be used

Several Take-Two patents seem promising. One listed above talks about potentially better AI, and interestingly enough, there have been others. For example, Take-Two Interactive once filed a patent titled:

"System and method for session management in a multiplayer network gaming environment."

Its patent ID was 1192032 and was intended to address the difficulties of loading several objects into a single online multiplayer game world. It then goes into technical details that would essentially modernize a game engine. There is no guarantee that these patents would be used for a GTA Online successor, yet the possibility is still there.

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4) Rockstar Games acquired Cfx.re

Rockstar Games announced on August 11, 2023, that they now have Cfx.re as a part of their team. Cfx.re was a team behind the biggest FiveM roleplay servers. Anybody familiar with popular streamers should recall how famous GTA RP has been in the past few years.

A GTA Online successor could theoretically have roleplay. Likewise, it could have several technical advantages that weren't present in the original GTA 5 multiplayer mode. It's too early to tell how much the Cfx.re acquisition will impact future games, yet the potential for something great is certainly there.

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5) Burnout on the official GTA 5 multiplayer mode

Not every way to surpass GTA 5's multiplayer mode has to be financial. It's no secret that many gamers are tired of Grand Theft Auto V. A GTA Online weekly update tends to get released every Thursday, yet that's not enough to freshen the game most of the time.

Naturally, the little to no changes every week lead to people getting burned out. A new game can easily freshen the gameplay experience, primarily because it's unlikely for somebody to get tired of a new entry.