5 important reasons why GTA 6 release shouldn't discontinue GTA Online

The long-awaited Grand Theft Auto sequel, GTA 6, will release in 2025 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. This will likely cause several active GTA Online players to migrate from this game to the next chapter in the series. However, this does not mean that the multiplayer should get discontinued. Although Rockstar Games is expected to wind down support eventually, it should not happen immediately.

In this article, we will be taking a closer look at five reasons why Grand Theft Auto 6's release shouldn't discontinue Grand Theft Auto Online. That said, readers should note this list is speculative and that Rockstar has not announced that it will be discontinuing Grand Theft Auto Online.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's views.

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GTA Online should not get discontinued after GTA 6 releases because of the following reasons

1) Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been announced for PC

The highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been announced for PC yet. As of this writing, it has only been confirmed to be coming on current-gen consoles in 2025. Rockstar has a history of releasing new titles first on consoles, and then later on PC. Therefore, it seems that those on the latter could be deprived of the game at launch.

Grand Theft Auto Online has a large player base, and many are on the PC. While they wait for the sequel to become available on this platform, the 2013 multiplayer title could continue being their source of entertainment.

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2) Could have high system requirements

We don't know the PC system requirements for Grand Theft Auto 6 because it hasn't been announced for this platform yet. However, based on what was shown in the GTA 6 trailer, they are expected to be quite high.

Regardless of when the title becomes available on PC, if at all, there could be many who won't have a system powerful enough to run it as intended. In such a situation, Grand Theft Auto Online could act as an alternative for those fans of the series.

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3) Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been announced for old-gen consoles

As stated, Grand Theft Auto 6 has only been confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. While the game will likely release on PC some day, it coming to PS4 and Xbox One seems highly improbable. Hence, those on old-gen consoles may look towards Grand Theft Auto Online until they upgrade their gaming hardware.

Rockstar doesn't need to release major content DLCs for it like it has for the last 10 years. Instead, the studio can continue providing support comparable to the scale of GTA Online weekly updates.

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4) It is still profitable for Rockstar

Grand Theft Auto Online is Grand Theft Auto 5's multiplayer mode, and the 2013 title is still selling well. Take-Two Interactive, Rockstar Games' parent company, revealed in its November 2023 earnings call that GTA 5 had sold around 190 million copies in its lifetime until then.

Keeping the above reasons in mind, the developer can still continue profiting off the 10-year old game and its multiplayer even after its next title releases. Not to forget that Shark Cards, Grand Theft Auto Online's version of microtransactions, are also highly profitable for Rockstar Games.

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5) The sequel's Online Mode might not be available at launch

Grand Theft Auto 5 released on PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 17, 2013, but Grand Theft Auto Online was only made available a few weeks later. If a similar approach is employed for the next game, its prequel can continue being an option for those wanting an online experience until GTA 6 Online releases.

However, Rockstar is yet to officially confirm the upcoming game's multiplayer mode and its details. Fans expect it to be revealed this year, along with information on an exact GTA 6 release date.