The anticipation surrounding Grand Theft Auto 6 is undoubtedly massive, with the upcoming Rockstar title possibly being its biggest release yet. Despite there being little in the way of official information regarding the release, GTA 6 is already the source of debate and conjecture among the franchise's fans.
The most consistent talking point regarding Grand Theft Auto 6 concerns the likely increase in scale that the title will see when compared to the longstanding and popular Grand Theft Auto 5. While a lot of this discourse has been in the context of upgrades to the single-player mode, there is also discussion to naturally be had regarding how GTA 6 will improve upon the Grand Theft Auto Online experience. Given the huge success of GTA Online, it is clear that GTA 6 offers an opportunity for the mode to jump to its next logical state by providing an interconnected world to wreck havoc across.
The Success of Grand Theft Auto Online
While the GTA franchise has boasted a dedicated online mode since 2008's Grand Theft Auto 4, the concept truly took off with 2013's Grand Theft Auto 5. Known as Grand Theft Auto Online, GTA 5's online mode offers a huge amount in the way of progression, allowing players to rise from street-level criminals to kingpins with private jets and penthouse apartments. There are a near-endless amount of ventures for players to explore, with the mode fostering simple free-roam exploration through a dynamic sandbox.
When this base experience is combined with bombastic races, community-made maps and modes, and a set of dedicated heists with an emphasis on co-op, it is clear to see why Grand Theft Auto Online has been so popular for Rockstar over the past decade. GTA Online reportedly produces huge amounts of revenue for Rockstar via its Shark Card microtransaction system, which gives players in-game currency that can be spent on the most alluring weapons, vehicles, and properties on offer. On top of this, Rockstar recently launched GTA+, a monthly paid subscription service that offers its own unique benefits for GTA Online players.
Grand Theft Auto 6's Online Mode Should Build Upon, Not Replace
Given the current track record of Grand Theft Auto Online it is logical to assume that Rockstar will place greater importance on the mode within its upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6. However, this presents a fantastic opportunity for Rockstar to not simply release another online mode that takes place in GTA 6's rumored Vice City setting, replacing the variant set in Los Santos.
Instead, Grand Theft Auto Online should act as an expansive hub providing the ultimate GTA experience. This mode should build upon the pre-existing framework and offer players the ability to freely travel between Los Santos and Vice City. Players should also be able to carry over their characters from GTA Online, although perhaps without the weapons and vehicles they have amassed.
This would essentially double the scale of offered content within GTA Online, and would crucially link GTA 5 and 6. This dedicated platform could be expanded infinitely, with other franchise locations such as Liberty City potentially coming in future updates. While the story mode of Grand Theft Auto 6 will be a huge focal point of the release, the game clearly holds a huge amount of potential for curating the franchise's ultimate online experience.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently in development.