Summary
Grand Theft Auto Onlinehas been around for over a decade and entering 2024, players may wonder how much longer they should keep playing. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with continuing to play a game long after its release. Online games tend to age at a different pace than their offline counterparts, though. A large part of this is due to their ongoing status, rather than being a one-and-done adventure, except for some patches and content updates.Grand Theft Auto Onlineis not immune to aging, but the question is whether its time is approaching soon.
Throughout Rockstar’s history, theGrand Theft Autoseries has evolved, andGrand Theft Auto Onlinegave it a dimension that no previousGTAgame had. It lets the player loose in Los Santos without the usual tense storyline that past protagonists had to follow. Instead, they have a world of activities to take part in and missions to tackle at their leisure, with more options opening up as they increase in level, amassing money and respect. In essence, it is the biggest sandbox thatGrand Theft Autohas ever offered. It’s no surprise thatGrand Theft Auto Onlineis so popular with that taken into account.
Grand Theft Auto Online is a Consistent but Aging Sandbox
In light of thelatestGrand Theft Auto Onlineupdate, it’s clear that Rockstar does not intend on dropping support for the game in the near future. Just like in recent years, players should be able to expect regular maintenance, with a new update or expansion every few months or so.Grand Theft Auto Onlinelooks like it will keep growing over the next year, which does make a solid argument for continuing to play. Following this pattern will result in additions such as:
A detail that can be hard to overlook is howGTA Onlineis over 10 years oldat this point. While a lot of old games are still excellent,GTA Onlineis still running on the same engine asGrand Theft Auto 5, and it’s starting to show its age. This is especially true afterRed Dead Redemption 2was released in 2018, which was a major improvement over the former in terms of gameplay. Even with so much new content being added to the game,Grand Theft Auto Onlinecan’t outrun the competition forever, especially with more open-world games on the horizon.
In light of the latestGrand Theft Auto Onlineupdate, it’s clear that Rockstar does not intend on dropping support for the game in the near future.
The recent announcement ofGrand Theft Auto 6adds a question for players. In the wait forGrand Theft Auto 6’s release date,Grand Theft Auto Onlinemay be the best way for players to stay fresh for the next game. While replaying otherGTAtitles is still an option,GTA Onlinehas the advantage of continued support. While the overall experience may be more chaotic than average due to the other players, it’s stillGrand Theft Autoat its core, and the general rules are the same. Those anticipatingGrand Theft Auto 6may not have a better option presently available.
Grand Theft Auto Onlineis arguably Rockstar’s flagship game at this point, at least untilGrand Theft Auto 6comes out. While thedifficulties facingGTA 6’s version ofGTA Onlineare something to think about in the future, the current version of the game is still perfectly playable. Of course, it is up to personal preference whether one wants to playGrand Theft Auto Online. Some fans may simply not be interested in online games, after all. For others,Grand Theft Auto Onlineshould still be perfectly playable throughout 2024.
