Grand Theft Auto 4 was a big success for Rockstar Games, and Rockstar capitalized on that success by supplementing the experience with some rather substantial expansions. The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony expansions for Grand Theft Auto 4 were met with rave reviews from fans and critics alike, adding new gameplay features and giving GTA enthusiasts some new stories to invest in.
Considering how popular the Grand Theft Auto 4 single player DLC was, many fans have been wanting to see something similar for Grand Theft Auto 5. Unfortunately, Rockstar Games never moved forward with Grand Theft Auto 5 single player DLC, with the game's post-release content focused almost exclusively on the GTA Online experience. Eight years removed from the Grand Theft Auto 5 release date, some may think that the ship has sailed for GTA 5 single player DLC, but it's not too late. It may actually be the perfect time for Rockstar to release Grand Theft Auto 5 single player DLC.
Here is why it's not too late for Grand Theft Auto 5 single player DLC.
Continued Success
Grand Theft Auto 5 is the most profitable entertainment product ever produced, and its sales continue to be strong to this day. In fact, Grand Theft Auto 5 sales were stronger last year than any other year in the game's history with the exception of when it launched in 2013. This shows that not only does Grand Theft Auto 5 have a large number of dedicated fans that are still playing the game regularly, but new people are constantly joining in on the fun as well. Some of these new adopters of GTA 5 are undoubtedly checking out GTA Online, but many others are likely playing through the single-player campaign as well.
The dizzying revenue that GTA Online rakes in and the continued sales success of the base game means that Rockstar isn't necessarily motivated to produce single-player DLC for the game. After all, why would it need to go through the trouble of making new content like that when the game is still selling like hotcakes? Well, the addition of new DLC would potentially help Rockstar make the game even more profitable, not to mention it could bring lapsed Grand Theft Auto 5 players back into the mix.
Next-Gen GTA 5
Grand Theft Auto 5's sales success is likely to continue in a big way in 2021. Not only will people still be able to buy existing versions of the game on other platforms, but they will soon have the opportunity to pick up GTA 5 again on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The next-gen version of Grand Theft Auto 5 is set to launch later this year, and while details on any next-gen enhancements are hard to come by at the time of this writing, it's quite likely that these ports will drive even more people to the game as well as bring back lapsed players.
This influx of new Grand Theft Auto 5 players represent the perfect opportunity for Rockstar to release new single-player DLC and maximize its success.
The Cayo Perico Heist
Rockstar Games released The Cayo Perico Heist for GTA Online late last year, giving fans of the game a brand new location to visit and a new heist to complete. But what made the Cayo Perico Heist stand out from the other GTA Online heists is that the entire experience can be played solo. This arguably made the Cayo Perico Heist content for GTA Online even more popular than it would be otherwise, as it opened the door to a whole sect of players who like Grand Theft Auto 5, but don't care for the online multiplayer portion of the game.
The Cayo Perico Heist was not without its critics, but it was generally well-received by the Grand Theft Auto Online community. It shows that there is a clear appetite for more story-focused content for Grand Theft Auto, not to mention content that can be played solo. So while The Cayo Perico Heist was content made for Grand Theft Auto Online, it really ends up being one of the best arguments for Grand Theft Auto 5 story DLC.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is Still Years Away
One of the main reasons why it's not too late for Grand Theft Auto 5 single player DLC is because Grand Theft Auto 6 is likely still years away from release. The most optimistic estimates suggest that the Grand Theft Auto 6 release date isn't until 2023, but it wouldn't be surprising to see fans waiting even longer for the game. While there was only five years between the launch of Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, literally nothing has been revealed about GTA 6 yet, and so it's hard to gauge where Rockstar may be in terms of its development.
There are also rumors that Rockstar Games may be pursuing other projects prior to Grand Theft Auto 6, which could also push back the Grand Theft Auto 6 release date. One rumor is that a Red Dead Redemption remaster is in the works, and while that could also help tide fans over while they wait for Grand Theft Auto 6, some brand new story DLC for Grand Theft Auto 5 would arguably go much farther and leave a more lasting impression.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is out now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions launching in 2021.