The popularity of Grand Theft Auto roleplaying can't be understated. Not only is it one of the most consistently-watched online experiences on Twitch and other streaming platforms, but it makes up a not-insignificant portion of Grand Theft Auto 5's playerbase, too. At the heart of the GTA RP community is one key server, the NoPixel server, which hosts many of Twitch's top streamers. Now one of the server's owners has revealed just what it costs to keep NoPixel running amidst such popularity.
In response to some angry questions online, NoPixel admin Arachnea shared a previously unknown detail about the GTA RP server. Accused of being "greedy" over NoPixel application fees, Arachnea revealed that the NoPixel server costs nearly $10,000 a month in hosting fees. Further, there are additional technological costs, as well as what NoPixel pays to its developers to improve and maintain NoPixel year-round.
Suffice to say, the NoPixel server costs are significant. At around $10,000 a month, in just one year the server can run up costs totaling nearly $120,000. Considering the NoPixel server is run by a very small team, with Koil and Arachnea handling key management work, it's much more understandable why a consistent revenue stream is important. Without such support, the server would likely crumple very quickly.
One of the key aspects of the NoPixel GTA RP server is that it's exclusive. The server allows for a limited number of players, so NoPixel works on an invite-only system. However, because Grand Theft Auto 5's Terms of Service won't allow server runners to charge subscriptions, NoPixel instead charges for prioritized applications. That leaves some rejected gamers angry, of course, because they don't get their money back. That's what's prompted a recent conversation about how much NoPixel costs to run.
This system is understandably frustrating. Since NoPixel is so popular and so exclusive, a lot of people get rejected. Each of those people lose their money with each rejection, which isn't just a monetary loss but is also disheartening. It's not surprising that some are angry about the system, though hopefully they're understanding about NoPixel's complicated situation. That said, it'd be interesting to know if NoPixel has considered other ways of monetizing the server.
One aspect of the situation that does deserve to be acknowledged is that NoPixel's creators deserve to be successful. NoPixel is used by some of Twitch's top streamers, who bring in a lot of donations, subscriptions, and partnerships through NoPixel. That kind of success really deserves to be passed on to the platform itself. $10 for a prioritized application doesn't seems so bad in that context.
Grand Theft Auto RP is available on PC.