Grand Theft Auto 5 is arguably one of the best video games ever made, earning around $800 million the first day of its release in 2013 and is currently the second best-selling video game of all time behind Minecraft. The game has been praised for its open world, which grew even more with the release of its multiplayer focused experience GTA Online. But gamers are always looking to make even the best games more personalized and customizable. One server for GTA 5, NoPixel, has released an update that takes the game's immersion to a new level.
NoPixel's GTA 5 server is focused on roleplay, which means players are encouraged to engage in storytelling with others as they live out their lives in San Andreas. These servers often see high profile streamers join in on the action, bringing their thousands of subscribers along with them to watch. The survival game Rust saw a huge resurgence in popularity last year due to the OfflineTV server, which was originally PVP-focused but split into a roleplay server as well after heated interactions between streamers. Similar to Rust's spike in popularity, the NoPixel server caused GTA 5 to rise the top of the Twitch charts recently following NoPixel's 3.0 update enhancing roleplay possibilities in the game.
The 3.0 update for the NoPixel server focuses on roleplay in a variety of ways. Characters created in the server will have traits, strengths, and weaknesses, and everyone starts from scratch once they join the server. Players can be civilians with regular jobs like a mechanic or salesman, or they can dive into the world of crime in Grand Theft Auto 5 by becoming a meth dealer or a crime lord. The police force in the NoPixel server is made up entirely of players, and there is an in-game court system that allows players who want to be lawyers or enforcers in the prison system to shine.
NoPixel is the largest server for GTA roleplay, and this latest update is a big reason why GTA 5 hit over 400,000 viewers, topping other stream giants like League of Legends and Rust. Streamers from some of these games hopped over to the NoPixel server to take part in the fun, including controversial OfflineTV server member xQc. Other big streamers to join are Shroud, MoonMoon, SureFour, and Sykkuno, among others.
The NoPixel server is communal, which means anyone can join, but players looking to apply must do so through the NoPixel website. Wait times to officially join can take up to four weeks. The server is entirely community-developed with no interference from GTA V developer Rockstar Games. Rockstar has forced a GTA Online cheat site to shut down, but it seems like as long as the NoPixel server doesn't involve hacking into game files for content, it can continue to grow.
Grand Theft Auto 5Â is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions in development
