Grand Theft Auto Online has managed to stay vibrant and alive over the course of eight years through frequent sizable updates. The updates have added numerous new features, activities, weapons, vehicles, customization options, and even entire locations. One of the biggest features of Grand Theft Auto Online that has been expanded through updates is player housing. Originally, players could only purchase a number of apartments, and each could only own one at a time.
However, that number was eventually increased to two, while numerous other housing options were added to the game that offered players with a lot of money new ways to generate revenue or show off their wealth in Grand Theft Auto Online. These have included a doomsday bunker, garages, yachts, offices, nightclubs, bike gang bars, and even arcades. However, there have been few additions to the basic player housing options, which has led to some frustration amongst the game's community, and there are some great ways that player houses could be improved to satisfy fans of the game.
Player Frustration Over Housing in Grand Theft Auto Online
Frustration with Grand Theft Auto Online's player homes is nothing new, but it has recently risen back to prominence within GTA Online's community. The complaints stem from a few concerns that have largely seen voiced support within the community. First, fans are frustrated at how few new options have been added for player houses in Grand Theft Auto Online. Other than very high-end apartments and small houses, the player home options in Grand Theft Auto Online are the same as they were when the game first launched nearly a decade ago.
Another concern with player housing is the lack of personalization involved with the system. Some newer apartments let players decide colo schemes or decoration styles, but that is it. If two players own the same apartment it is either guaranteed that they both look identical to one another or will simply just have a different theme or color. It is a bit odd how little customization is included with player homes in the game, as players are able to fully customize their weapons, characters, and vehicles with almost countless options that are consistently added to with every update Grand Theft Auto Online receives. With GTA Online coming to next-gen consoles, the game's community has begun voicing its hope that it will be the opportunity developer Rockstar Games seizes to improve the game's player housing in some big ways.
Houses Should Show Off a Player's Accomplishments in Grand Theft Auto Online
There is an incredible amount of content for players to do in Grand Theft Auto Online. Players can participate in various types of races, tackle intense heists, rob gas stations, purchase and customize high-end cars, do survival missions, play through storylines, and much more. A great way for player houses to improve in the game is for them to reflect the antics players have gotten into over the years. It may not be possible for houses to show off every challenge or accomplishment a player has made, but having a set number of trophy locations that players could select from would be a great way to make them feel more valuable. It would be great for players to earn trophies to display by completing heists without dying or completing GTA Online's Cayo Perico Heist quickly enough or winning 1,000 races.
Houses should also show off what other investments players have made so that they feel like more of a hub for the player's purchases rather than a solitary instance that they purchased. This could include players having their favorite cars spawn in the house's driveway, having a helicopter on a helipad, or even letting players see their brand new submarine docked in Grand Theft Auto Online's ocean in front of their beachfront property. This would help make the player housing feel much more personalized, as well as helping reward players for their other investments in the game and all of the time that they spent to get them.
Grand Theft Auto Online Players Should Be Able to Customize Their Houses More
Grand Theft Auto Online should also increase the amount of customization that players have over their houses. It seems strange that players can not purchase individual pieces of furniture to swap the default decorations and furniture with, and being able to do so would go a long way in helping players feel more connected to their homes. It also seems odd that players still can't buy any of the larger buildings in Los Santos. The game's map holds plenty of mansions that are completely unused, and that would make for perfect high-end housing options for players that want to live the Los Santos high life in more than just an apartment. This is especially true with how realistic Grand Theft Auto Online's map is, which could allow players to live out their Los Angeles fantasies even better in the game.
Furthering player customization could also lead to adding more mechanical benefits to players investing in their houses. Customization could allow players to tailor the houses and what benefits they get from them to their own tastes, whether that be a bigger garage, a room to display and store their arsenal of weaponry, or having members of their nightclub at a never-ending pool party. This could be especially well done by Grand Theft Auto Online adding a gated mansion to the map that would allow players to fully build and customize their own mansion to suit their needs and tastes all their own. This could even cut down on some of the travel players have to do for services by allowing players to order ammo or customize their favorite cars right from their GTA Online mansion.
Of course, whether or not Rockstar Games will actually implement any improvements to player housing in Grand Theft Auto Online remains to be seen. The developers have been very tight-lipped on not only that subject, but the subject of what players can expect from the game's future in general. Hopefully, the developers are willing to listen to their players, as Grand Theft Auto Online is regarded as one of the best in the series by some, and the right improvements could help it cement its ranking in the iconic franchise.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One with a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S version coming March 2022.