Rumors are starting to swirl that a new map is on the way for Grand Theft Auto Online, and now, new leaked info has been unveiled, shedding more light on the claim. With any sort of GTA news, many players are immediately led to believe that Rockstar Games is finally getting ready to unveil the newest entry in the franchise. Even during the initial reveal of the PlayStation 5, when Rockstar’s logo appeared, many thought that the elusive GTA 6 was finally being announced, only for it to be revealed that GTA 5 would be launching on PS5 instead.
And with GTA 5 jumping to the next generation hardware, that means that GTA Online is not too far behind. GTA Online sees an influx of several players every year, and is one of the sole reasons that Grand Theft Auto 5 continues to sell millions of copies every year, with the upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X/S release being no exception.
With plenty of game modes to choose from, a drawback for GTA Online is that it is confined to one map, namely the open world of San Andreas to explore. However, a tweet by industry insider @Matheusbr9895 has indicated there is reason to believe that could be changing soon. In a series of tweets (translated from Portuguese), the leaker states that with the standalone version of GTA Online that will launch alongside GTA 5's next-gen upgrade, the game would need new additions to make it worthwhile. In a response to another tweet asking for any more info, he states that he “can’t say much, but pack your bags”
While this doesn’t share too much insight, it’s clear that with the standalone version of GTA Online on the way, Rockstar is in need of something to stand out. A new map, whether entirely different from the current sights of Los Santos, would definitely be a great change of pace. After all, GTA 5 itself had sections of the game that took place in North Yankton, so that location could be what the leaker is referring to.
As for when we will see this standalone version of the game, it will be launching alongside GTA 5’s port to both PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, currently slated to be coming in March. However, rumors are starting to stir that GTA 5's port could be delayed into April or May. This speculation comes after the game was already delayed from its original November 2021 date.
Whether players will be on board with this re-release is tough to say, as many of the promotional material for GTA 5's next-gen version has been bombarded with negative reception, with many commenting on a lack of substantial additions to warrant such a high-profile upgrade. Hopefully, the release of the game will change their tune while they continue to wait for the eventual next entry in the franchise.
Grand Theft Auto V is out now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and will be launching on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in March 2022