Rockstar Games has finally answered several key questions about the November release of Grand Theft Auto 6, laying out details on pricing, what comes with special editions, and how pre-loading will work in a Wednesday update. This came just before pre-orders begin on June 25. In that same message, the company also made its stance unmistakably clear: Grand Theft Auto 6 is built as a single-player experience.
You can see this reflected in the game descriptions on PlayStation.com and Xbox.com, which follow the announcement of one of the Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-order bonuses: a free month of GTA Plus, Rockstar’s subscription service that provides perks for Grand Theft Auto Online.
Below is Rockstar’s official wording:
Receive a month of GTA+ with your pre-order; this must be activated within 180 days after placing your order. Subscription activation is unavailable for child accounts with restrictions on age-restricted content. A pop-up notification will appear on your console when your GTA+ subscription month is available for activation. Access the Store, select your profile icon in the upper-left corner, and choose “Offers & credits” to locate and redeem this promotion. Limited to one activation per Platform Account.
Grand Theft Auto VI is a single-player experience.
People who subscribe to GTA Plus can also use the GTA Plus Games Library, which includes a lineup of classic Rockstar releases such as Grand Theft Auto 5, Red Dead Redemption, and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition.
Rockstar’s statement that Grand Theft Auto 6 is limited to a single-player format naturally prompts speculation about what comes next for Grand Theft Auto Online. The online mode, which remains extremely popular, is a major source of revenue for both Rockstar and publisher Take-Two Interactive, and it continues to be updated with new content for its dedicated community. In July, Rockstar plans to roll out a major GTA Online update called The Kortz Center Heist. The company shows no signs of winding down GTA Online, suggesting it will likely run alongside GTA 6 for years to come.
When Grand Theft Auto 5 launched in September 2013, it was largely focused on single-player play. At the same time, Rockstar was working on GTA Online, with the online multiplayer mode going live just two weeks after the open-world crime title arrived on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Since then, Rockstar has kept GTA Online moving forward with regular updates, and the multiplayer mode was made available as a standalone download in 2021.
Over time, some of the fresh and distinctive elements from Grand Theft Auto 6 could eventually find their way into GTA Online. Rockstar is clearly encouraging its audience to upgrade to the Enhanced editions of GTA 5 released on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, which are available at no additional cost. Still, both Rockstar and Take-Two are likely to protect what’s been working; when GTA 6 arrives this November, we may learn more about what could change in GTA Online—and possibly about that eagerly awaited PC version as well.
Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X on Nov. 19.
GTA 5 gets a major free upgrade for PS4 and Xbox One owners
Rockstar is urging players to upgrade ahead of big GTA Online updates and the GTA 6 launch