For what was already an iconic franchise, Grand Theft Auto 5 has lifted the series to a new level of fame. Just in 2020 alone, the game was able to sell 20 million units, which brought the game's total sales to around 140 million. This is thanks, in large part, to the immersive experience that Rockstar has provided in Grand Theft Auto Online. This online mode allows up to 30 players to run freely on the game map as they build their criminal empires. Rockstar did a great job at creating an online platform in Grand Theft Auto 5 that keeps players coming back, be it for the new heist update or to check the progress of their forgery labs.
However, as impressive as Grand Theft Auto Online is, it could always stand to be better. Other games have shown that interactive events like concerts and big reveals have the potential to excite fans and provide an extremely immersive experience. As cool as a Travis Scott concert was in Fortnite, imagine listening to Nicki Minaj perform live while chilling inside of a high class venue like the Diamond Casino. GTA Online would serve itself by becoming more interactive and immersive as well, as the mod FiveM has shown. It might be too late to implement this in Grand Theft Auto 5, but the future for GTA Online is wide open.
Fortnite's Interactive Events
Fortnite seemed to tap into some kind of well when it came to player retention. What started as a hit-game evolved into a cultural phenomenon, and was only further evolved by the lore and events tied to the in-game map. The first live and interactive Fortnite event was a meteor falling from the sky, eventually taking out a factory on the map. The events would only increase in scale from then, and has brought in famous characters from all sorts of popular IPs.
Apart from the events that changed the reality and map of Fortnite, the game also tried some new concepts with entertainment. The Travis Scott concert was a way to celebrate all of Fortnite's past events while allowing players to attend a live concert performed by a Travis Scott hologram. The event threw players all across the map, and was a great time. There were also events that worked as press releases, like the "Live at Risky Reels" event. Rockstar seemed to dip their toes in this with the current version of GTA Online, as the in-game nightclubs that players can buy will feature special guest DJs.
These kind of events would make the world of GTA Online feel that much more lived in, like there was always something happening when the player logs in. In all reality, Rockstar could create a new medium for entertainment and gaming events, if it wanted to expand the world that far. This would certainly come in handy in creating more accessibility to these types of events, which the Covid-19 pandemic proved is a necessary resource to have.
FiveM's Success
The FiveM platform allows gamers to play GTA Online with different mods. The platform puts a heavy emphasis on role-playing as the players live out regular lives in GTA Online as cops, firefighters, taxi drivers, and more. It was first made popular by content creators looking for new interactions with players. The immersive qualities of FiveM's platform have proven that if Grand Theft Auto 6 wanted to go a similar route, it would be welcomed among the thousands of players who enjoy FiveM now. The freedom for the player to be whoever they want was a big draw to GTA Online, and FiveM evolved on that.
Some popular servers include custom jobs that allow players to dress up and play in different professions. That's something that GTA Online could evolve on and would guarantee that fans feel a little more positive about the next title. It would be really interesting if players could supplement the taxi driving force and allow them to drive players around the in-game map like an Uber. Any inspiration Grand Theft Auto 6/Online takes from the immersive FiveM RP servers, and polishes, will also serve as notice that Rockstar is paying attention to what its fans like.
Grand Theft Auto 6 Online
It's likely that Rockstar has pushed GTA Online as far as it can go, with the many updates that explore different avenues of criminal enterprises. The larger systems in the game are typically centered around Heists, but the new Grand Theft Auto will likely be much larger in scope. The current-gen consoles will be able to handle more complex tasks. Seeing how much players love just living in the online world, they could use these advanced systems to make it more interactive.
Not much is known about Grand Theft Auto 6, but it would stand to reason that the next game will be larger than Grand Theft Auto 5. If the map is bigger, it makes sense that there will be more room for these events to happen as well. It's rumored that the main story will put a much heavier emphasis on the drug trade around Vice City or some other modern city. The main story will likely be separate, and GTA Online will be where Rockstar goes to introduce new concepts.
The next version of GTA Online doesn't have to be as immersive and interactive as Red Dead Redemption 2. However, it would serve it to evolve the concepts that made Grand Theft Auto 5 so popular. That is including the world that allows them to live out a new life. This could include adding interactive live events to creating new job opportunities that put an innovative spin on the online gameplay. With rumors that Grand Theft Auto 6 has been in development for quite some time, fans are almost definitely closer to the next Grand Theft Auto than the last one.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is out now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions also in development.