GTA 5: Will the game ever receive a single-player expansion?

GTA fans have had a pretty exciting 2020, with Rockstar Games announcing early on that the ever-expanding GTA Online will receive more updates during the year.

In the midst of all the excitement around GTA Online, Story Mode fans were left lurking in a dark corner, deprived of hope for a single-player expansion.

Every year, fans clamor for a single-player or Story Mode expansion for GTA 5, and it always falls on deaf ears as GTA Online seems to have diverted all attention unto itself.

Rockstar Games have done a pretty decent job at providing players with a solid experience in GTA Online, especially with the much-anticipated Cayo Perico Heist DLC on December 15.

However, the ache remains ever-present as fans continue to speculate whether a single-player expansion is on the cards for their favorite open-world title.

Will GTA 5 ever receive a single-player expansion?

It is not entirely unlike Rockstar to support a game with single-player expansions after launch.

Episodes from Liberty City was a single-player expansion DLC for Grand Theft Auto 4 that included 2 separate campaigns with quality content.

The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Dammned are still considered some of the best DLCs released by a publisher after launch. Therefore, there is a slight glimmer of hope when it comes to a single-player expansion for GTA 5.

The success of GTA Online

One of the biggest obstacles in the way of a single-player expansion seems to be the roaring and continued success of GTA Online. The game is an extremely lucrative product for Rockstar and is something that they have supported with quality content and updates for over 7 years.

Therefore, it makes very little sense for Rockstar to divert attention away from an extremely successful project onto one that might not be appealing to a large portion of the fanbase.

However, it is also a silver lining for fans hoping for a Story Mode expansion as it is possible for Rockstar to introduce characters from the Story Mode, such as Michael and Franklin, in GTA Online.

Since Trevor and Lester are already in the game, Rockstar can choose to bring GTA Online in the Story Mode timeline and continue from where the players left off. This would certainly be a prospect that fans can get behind.

GTA 5: Expanded and Enhanced Edition

During the PS5 Reveal Event, Rockstar announced their plans to release the "Expanded and Enhanced Edition" of Grand Theft Auto 5 on next-gen consoles in the latter half of 2021.

What this could mean is still up in the air as Rockstar haven't completely ruled out the possibility of a single-player expansion. Fans have been pretty vocal about their demand for a Story Mode DLC heading into 2021, and Rockstar are sure to have taken notice.

Given the fact that it has been almost 7 years, and GTA Online is faring quite well, perhaps a single-player expansion simply doesn't make financial sense for Rockstar.

However, positive perception among the fanbase goes a long way in the gaming industry, and Rockstar have maintained an almost flawless rapport with their fans.