The Grand Theft Auto 6 that everyone is expecting could very well be dead way before it comes out on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X next year.

Rich Vogel, a gaming industry veteran whose resume includes legendary titles like Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Doom, New World, and Halo Infinite, recently dropped some fascinating details during an exclusive interview.

In a sit-down with Wccftech, GTA 6 could fundamentally redefine what Grand Theft Auto as a franchise means, describing a potential evolution into something resembling a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

Yes, you read that right. GTA 6 could very well become an MMO, which isn't unlike what we heard earlier this year about Rockstar reportedly turning the franchise into a live-service title.

Now, Vogel emphasized he hasn't worked directly on the project himself. Rather, the information reportedly comes from multiple sources who have knowledge of the game's development direction.

Here's where things get really interesting. Back in August 2023, Rockstar Games made a strategic move that didn't get nearly enough attention at the time: they acquired Cfx.re, the team behind FiveM.

If you're not familiar, FiveM is a wildly popular community modification for Grand Theft Auto V that transformed the base game into something far more expansive. We're talking dedicated servers, significantly higher player counts per session, and complex role-playing systems where players could pursue careers as paramedics, police officers, mechanics, and club owners. It's basically a mod that lets you live an entire second life in Los Santos.

FiveM's success is part of Grand Theft Auto Online's longevity. At one point, FiveM actually surpassed official servers in concurrent players on Steam.

By bringing the FiveM team in-house, Rockstar gained direct access to developers who intimately understand what the community craves from an expanded online world. Case in point: these are the same people who proved that GTA players want more than just heists and races.