Does GTA 6 even need an Online mode when it releases?

Rockstar Games has made it no secret that GTA Online is one of their most valued projects and one that they ideally want to keep around for longer. Yet, as the years go by, fans have grown increasingly concerned about whether GTA Online's monumental growth is what has essentially stunted development on a sequel.

With Rockstar not looking like they're ready to announce their plans just yet, fans have been debating whether GTA Online is that integral a part of the experience. For the most part, GTA has been a single-player-oriented franchise, and players have flocked to the series for exceptionally well-made campaigns and open worlds.

When news first broke of GTA 4 containing an Online component, the fanbase couldn't be more excited. The modern sensibilities of players have reflected that games with a strong Online component fare better in the long run, given their nature as a constantly evolving experience.

With GTA Online having been around for about eight years now and still going strong, does the sequel also require an Online component?

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinion of the writer.

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Is GTA now a multiplayer-centered franchise?

If one looks at it through a purely statistical lens, it only makes sense for Rockstar to work on Online projects. Since the most popular and profitable games of today are multiplayer. Yet that would be so far off the mark in practice, as the game's core audience comes not from its Online mode but from the single-player fanbase.

The appeal of GTA Online is to successfully translate a single-player experience into a co-op/PvP mode. As it stands, it looks like Rockstar is doubling down on their Online mode with the release of Red Dead Online, and later this year, GTA Online as a standalone title.

From the looks of things, it wouldn't make much sense to have another iteration of GTA Online that lines up with GTA 6. Instead, a Fortnite/Apex Legends-style Seasons approach might make more sense.

A new phase of GTA Online

GTA 6's release is potentially way into the future since Rockstar's plans seem to currently be centered around GTA 5 on next-gen consoles. Ideally, the plan would be to expand upon the Online mode on next-gen consoles and extend its run on new consoles.

If GTA 6 does come out, it won't make much sense for Rockstar to build another Online experience from scratch. Using the next-gen version of GTA Online as a base, Rockstar can simply build on it using GTA 6's new locations and assets. Thus, creating a new Season of sorts for players who want to experience a new iteration of the game.

While that certainly has its issues, the upside would be that Online would then act as a separate entity entirely from the single-player experience, which the fanbase has been demanding for a while.