Grand Theft Auto Online is still going strong despite the disastrous release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, but this state of affairs may not last. While Grand Theft Auto Online lacks the combination of terrible visuals, serious mechanical issues, and general bugs that have plagued Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, it is facing another issue: the inevitability of its soundtrack being gutted. The game has already begun losing songs, and as time passes, odds are good that the collection of atmospheric tunes available in Grand Theft Auto Online's radio channels will continue to shrink.
The radio is one of the staples of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, so the removal of songs from in-game radio stations is a significant decision. Playing as a morally-ambiguous criminal is the core of the series, but the games lack a certain something without the ability to drive around in a stolen vehicle listening to the various radio stations. Grand Theft Auto Online even features actual licensed songs that players may recognize from real-life activities, which can enhance the game's realism. Unfortunately, there's a major problem with including licensed music in video games, particularly online games - licensing agreements tend to expire.
The Downside of Licensing Agreements
The iconic soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto is part of what makes cruising around in stolen cars so much fun, but Rockstar Games has begun removing songs from Grand Theft Auto Online. In September, the Kano track, "Can't Hold Back (Your Lovin)," was removed from the game's funk and post-disco station, Space 103.2, and this is only the beginning. Although the company did not give players a specific reason for why the song was removed, the answer is probably connected to licensing agreements. If that is the case, then it's very likely that more songs will be removed from the game in the future.
Video games have a long history of using licensed music, live-action footage, and other forms of copyrighted material to enhance the gaming experience. This can result in some of the most spectacular moments in the industry, but it can also lead to important elements of the game - or even the entire title - being pulled when the licensing agreement is being discussed, renewed, or canceled. The classic titles Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 were recently removed from digital storefronts while Konami tried to renew the license for historical footage used in the game, and they aren't live-service games. When a title like Grand Theft Auto Online has to take licensing agreements into account, it's inevitable that the soundtrack will continue to lose songs.
Rockstar Games is Losing Ground
While Grand Theft Auto Online may be bound to lose songs as time passes and licenses expire, it's not guaranteed that this will ruin the experience for gamers, especially if Rockstar Games manages to add new tracks to replace the ones removed. However, Rockstar Games' reputation is in jeopardy at the moment for a variety of reasons. Chief among them is the lackluster launch of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition, a game that was intended to be a celebration of the series' fans but ended up infuriating them.
Fans of Grand Theft Auto Online may be even more upset with Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition's flaws, as Rockstar's need to fix so much of what went wrong in Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition could impact updates to Grand Theft Auto Online. The expiration of licensing agreements is unlikely to be delayed due to the disaster, so if the developers continue to prioritize fixing the remasters over keeping Grand Theft Auto Online up to date, fans may be faced with increasingly barren radio channels.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S support coming in March 2022.
