Future of GTA Online still seems strong as suggested by new reports

GTA Online is nearly a decade old and is nearing reached the end of its life cycle. While Rockstar Games continues to support the multiplayer version and release new content on a regular basis, a sizable portion of the playerbase has moved on to other games due to the lack of novelty in Grand Theft Auto Online.

Even the recently released Los Santos Drug Wars DLC was criticized for its gameplay elements. Previously, the gaming studio would include futuristic weapons, vehicles, and other features with every update. However, the winter 2022 DLC takes a more subtle approach, employing real-life "believable" elements.

While most fans assumed that Rockstar Games would be finally stepping down from the multiplayer game to focus on the release of GTA 6, the recent Q3 earnings call by Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive hinted at a promising future for the game.

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

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Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive will continue to support GTA Online for the foreseeable future

Take-Two Interactive held its third-quarter earnings call on February 6, 2023, during which executives shared some exciting news for Grand Theft Auto Online fans. Regardless of rumors and discussions, Rockstar Games will continue to release new DLCs for the multiplayer game and will support it until the next GTA title gets released.

Take-Two Interactive’s current President Karl Slatoff stated:

“Throughout the balance of the fiscal year, Rockstar Games will continue to support Grand Theft Auto Online with additional content updates.”

This inspired confidence among fans, some of whom were unhappy with the gaming studio's slow release pace for the Los Santos Drug Wars DLC. Many players believed that it would be the final DLC released by Rockstar in GTA Online. However, the announcement made it clear that the multiplayer game has more to offer.

Even though the game was released in 2013, it has seen significant growth over the last few years. The Los Santos Drug Wars update alone attracted over $4 million players, and the playerbase is still growing. The base game, Grand Theft Auto 5, has also sold a record 175 million copies, and it saw a spike in sales during the Halloween and Christmas holiday seasons of 2022.

In response to the success of both games, Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Take-Two Interactive, stated:

“During the quarter, Rockstar Games released an array of new content for both Halloween and the Holiday season, as well as a new, story-driven update, Los Santos Drug Wars. The update launched in December and continues to deliver exciting new story and gameplay features to players across the Winter season, including a new business, Taxi missions, and much more to come, which is continuing to drive strong engagement with our player base.”

This further proves that Rockstar Games has no intention of discontinuing the multiplayer game and will continue to add new gameplay elements for GTA Online players.

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Fans want Michael De Santa to be added to GTA Online

GTA Online still has a lot of potential, and Michael De Santa is one of the most requested additions to the game. While Rockstar Games has previously added Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton to the game, Michael remains absent from the original trio.

As Take-Two has announced that the multiplayer game will continue, Rockstar should consider including the Story Mode protagonist in the online version to fulfill fans' long-standing demands.