GTA Online is, by far, the biggest success Rockstar Games has ever seen in the industry, showing no signs of slowing down even 12 years after its original release. The fact that GTA 5 has sold upwards of 200 million units remains a testament to GTA Online’s quality and staying power, and with GTA 6 on the horizon, Rockstar Games is undoubtedly expecting to catch lightning in a bottle again, but this is easier said than done.
As someone who has already put hundreds of hours, if not more, into GTA Online, GTA 6 needs to go above and beyond in order to be considered a worthy follow-up to GTA Online. In fact, I think a complete revamp of the series’ online component is in order.
Bigger Lobbies And More Lively World
It goes without saying that Rockstar did a great job translating the open-world GTA experience to an online game mode over 10 years ago. Much like the story mode, GTA Online set players loose in the massive world of Los Santos, retaining the core strengths of Grand Theft Auto’s sandbox elements, albeit with the restrictions brought about by the PS3 and Xbox 360.
The limited hardware of 2005 meant that GTA Online was restricted to just 16 players per lobby at release, and this number was later increased to 30 players on the PS4 and Xbox One. Under the ideal circumstances, this player count could still allow for plenty of mayhem and typical GTA shenanigans, but the usual experience was quite different.
In most cases, players were clustered into specific hot spots and points of interest, leaving a large chunk of GTA Online’s massive map empty. This could lead to the game sometimes feeling more barren than it should have, especially since players don’t typically expect to go several minutes without running into another person in an online game mode.
Fortunately, this problem should be easy to address. GTA 6 needs to up the ante by increasing the maximum number of players per lobby. Player counts as high as 60 should be more than feasible and could completely transform the online experience.
I understand that the last thing anybody wants to see is more grifting in GTA Online lobbies, but part of the fun of this mode lies in its randomness and absurdity. With twice as many players as last-gen going about their various activities, GTA 6 would have twice as much potential for fun.
Custom Server Browser
This is yet another fairly standard feature that has shown up in various games for well over a decade now. In fact, GTA Online also offered modded role-play servers on PC, but a server browser never made it to the game in official terms.
This is something GTA 6 absolutely needs to implement from day one, since it would allow for a greater degree of freedom and customization. In addition to enabling specific player counts or restrictions during online gameplay, custom servers could act as regional hubs for different GTA Online communities. This would come in handy for countries with fewer gamers.
Since the game mode already has subsets of players dedicated to activities like collecting and racing cars, competing in death matches, and running businesses, specific servers catering to these enthusiasts could also lead to entirely separate communities being formed and existing ones growing further.
Rockstar Games would only benefit from launching GTA 6’s online component with custom servers, and the team could even use this option as an added revenue source by renting out servers.
Less Grindy Gameplay
If there’s one thing to criticize about GTA Online, it has to be the game’s monetization system. The way things are set up, players are practically forced to make use of Shark Cards, with the only other option being hundreds of hours of mindless grinding.
Each new update to the game has brought more expensive cars, weapons, and properties, creating a Gacha-like sense of progression where old items quickly become outdated and each new purchase requires more and more real-world money.
In my opinion, Rockstar should fundamentally shift its design philosophy for GTA 6. The game’s online mode should put fun above all else, striving to strike a balance between natural player progression and monetization.
Although this may be easier said than done, Rockstar may be the only studio in the world that can afford not to nickel and dime its players at every possible opportunity. I hope to see more affordable pricing across the board in GTA Online’s next iteration and a greater emphasis on quality over quantity.
A Greater Focus On Narrative
GTA’s online mode lives and dies by its regularly updated content. To Rockstar’s credit, the studio has done an excellent job in this department so far, even going as far as bringing key members of the GTA 5 cast to the online mode for specific missions.
I hope to see this becoming the norm in GTA 6. Instead of disjointed missions or ambiguous narrative-driven events, the next iteration of GTA Online should span an overarching narrative with an intricately layered plot.
Rockstar could even integrate key locations or characters from past titles into the events of the larger narrative of the online component. Since shared universes have become all the rage across entertainment today, GTA 6 could set up its own connected universe through the online mode, offering easter eggs and references for hardcore fans to pick up on.
Perhaps GTA Online could further the actual narrative of GTA 6 after its conclusion, exploring unaddressed plot threads and characters from the actual story. The possibilities are practically limitless, and Rockstar should do everything it can to capitalize on these elements.
Whatever direction the studio goes in, the good news is that Rockstar will likely nail the final offering. GTA Online’s successor is practically guaranteed to be a success either way, but it would certainly be nice to see the team sticking with the theme of pushing GTA 6 to its limits.
What is your personal wishlist for GTA 6’s online mode? Be sure to let me know in the comments below.