5 reasons why GTA Online continues to grow in popularity in 2021

While most fans had anticipated GTA Online to become the juggernaut that it became in 2021, few expected the growth to be sudden and significant. Post-2015, with the Heists update, the game has grown exponentially in scale and scope. It reached an astounding stage in 2021.

But that isn't to limit Rockstar's ambitions, as the game is scheduled for release as a standalone title. It could mean Rockstar has bigger plans for the game going forward.

This article dives into a few reasons why GTA Online is still all the rage in 2021 and will be so for the foreseeable future.

---

5 reasons why GTA Online continues to grow in popularity in 2021

1) Heists

Heists are at the core of what makes GTA Online tick for most of the players who play the game regularly. These are PvE modes backed by a great story, gameplay variety, and basically the best co-op shooter one can play currently.

Rockstar Games have been upping the ante when it comes to Heists, with each new update offering players a larger-scale heist than the last. The most recent, Cayo Perico Heist, introduced players to an all-new location with tons of great story moments and neat gameplay variety.

2) Potential for content creation / streaming

In today's gaming era, one of the essential aspects of a game is how much it lends itself to content creation and streaming opportunities. Any game with ambitions to last long after its release should be viable for streamers and content creators.

While GTA RP seems to have taken over the streaming space, GTA Online continues to be a popular game on many platforms.

The game has plenty of wacky and hilarious modes that lend themselves to many opportunities, as evidenced by the work of popular streamers/speedrunners like DarkViperAU.

3) Story expansion

While many GTA fans were skeptical about Rockstar's single-player focus, recent content from the publisher seems to dispel that notion. For the most part, GTA Online is a pretty solid multiplayer affair, but it also has plenty in the way of solo experience.

On top of that, it has done a great job at picking up the story after the events of GTA 5 in 2013. With plenty of new characters, each with its own fantastic arc and backstories, there is plenty in the story content.

GTA Online is one of the most story-heavy online multiplayer experiences, exactly what one expects from Rockstar Games.

4) Diverse and quality content

Most games tend to stick to one genre and make the most out of it, occasionally choosing to incorporate a couple of diverse game modes. GTA Online laughs in the face of consistency, take every genre known to audiences and puts them within one game.

From racing to slasher horror-survival, one can find just about anything. The fact that the game caters to everyone in terms of taste is simply astounding and one of the core reasons why it has been so popular.

In 2021, players love nothing more than variety in games. Perhaps no other title does better than GTA Online.

5) Regular updates

Long-running titles are all the rage now as players respond better to games getting better with age, with new content making its way periodically. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing a pretty skeletal game evolve into an expansive online experience.

GTA Online has gone through that process and continues to grow in size. With it scheduled for release as a standalone title in 2021, fans can only expect it to grow even larger in size and scope.