5 features that make GTA Online a massive success

GTA Online has proven itself to be a credible game that can stand independently from GTA 5. This is further solidified by the fact that the game is scheduled to be released as a standalone title in the second half of 2021.

Over the years, Rockstar Games has tinkered and reinvented the GTA Online formula to incorporate interesting features and intuitive gameplay.

Here are some of the best stand-out features that have helped the game become the industry juggernaut that it is in 2021.

What are the features that have turned GTA Online into an industry juggernaut?

#1 Heists

Heists have essentially become the core of GTA Online. They are one of the best features that players can enjoy along with friends, crew or even strangers.

Heists make for some truly exhilarating PvE action that is filled with exciting gameplay, fantastic stories and amazing characters. Each Heist is essentially a self-contained story arc that adds a ton of value to GTA Online.

Rockstar has steadily been adding more Heists to the game, with each one somehow managing to top the last. It will be interesting to see what the developers do next after the highly successful Cayo Perico Heist.

#2 Character customization

It might not sound like much at first, but fans have come to appreciate the in-depth character customization present in GTA Online. From facial features to an insane variety of clothes, players have an absurd amount of control over how their character looks.

This helps players invest themselves into the game, as each part of their character's personality and appearance can be changed at will. From the way they walk to their taunts, players can pick just about anything.

It is truly one of the deepest character creation and customization suites ever in the history of online multiplayer games.

#3 Businesses

The goal of GTA Online players is to ultimately become the undisputed king of crime in Los Santos by having several businesses. From an MC Cocaine Lockup to an illegal Import/Export operation, players can engage in a variety of illegal businesses in the game.

These usually involve acquiring and resupplying stock and cargo in order to sell them at a profit regularly. From vehicle cargo to weed farms, players can try their hand at a number of illegal businesses.

This adds a ton of depth to GTA Online and makes it feel far more fleshed out than a simple shooter with gameplay variety.

#4 Contact Missions

Players who feel that GTA Online is too far distanced from the appeal of a typical GTA campaign would be pleased to learn that the game has story missions. While not as scripted as the ones in Story Mode, there are plenty of single-player-like missions in the game.

GTA Online has plenty of great story missions, which feature returning characters like Lamar Davis and Trevor Phillips to new ones like Gerald. These are fairly easy to do and a lot of fun to play.

#5 Weaponized Vehicles

There are not a lot of things that GTA players love more than fast vehicles and big guns. However, when they're combined and rolled into one powerful weaponized vehicle, the fanbase goes absolutely crazy.

GTA Online has a large number of vehicles, aircraft and other such oddities that offer both speed, precision and weaponry. Vehicles like the Oppressor MKII, the Terrorbyte and the Dune FAV have become fan favorites purely because of the destruction they can bring about.

The Arena War mode is a great and chaotic game mode for vehicular carnage enthusiasts.