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.
Since its launch over a decade ago, it has transformed from a relatively simple multiplayer mode into a vast, persistent world with regular updates, live events, and long-term progression systems. Players have built criminal empires, formed lasting communities, and created their own narratives within Los Santos.
Recent updates have introduced increasingly role-playing focused elements. The latest additions include bodybuilding equipment that allows players to change their character's physique through various fitness activities, all the while letting players splurge on their own customizable mansions.
These seemingly small features hint at a broader vision for character customization and progression that extends well beyond simple cosmetic changes.
The writing could very well be on the wall, and Rockstar could be using GTA Online to test waters that lead straight into MMO territory.
After all, it's not like Rockstar hasn't backported GTA 6 assets in the latest GTA V updates before. Would it really be surprising if Rockstar did the same for post-launch GTA 6 content?
GTA 5 remains the second-best-selling game of all time, with its online component generating billions in revenue through continuous updates. GTA 6 is already predicted to lead a massive console gaming revenue surge in 2025, and that's before considering the potential of a persistent MMO model.
A more persistent, role-playing-focused online world would likely mean longer development cycles for content, more complex social systems, and potentially even player-driven economies, with implications extending beyond gameplay mechanics.
In a monkey-see, monkey-do kind of industry, GTA 6 becoming an MMO and bringing in billions in revenue could usher in a new golden age of MMOs.
But for that to happen, Rockstar has to release GTA 6 first, and there's no telling when that might happen following the most recent delay.
Of course, despite such concerns and potential regulatory hurdles, GTA 6 topped The Game Awards' most anticipated list, demonstrating the massive audience eagerly awaiting any information about the title. Rockstar is currently working on the PC port, suggesting they're planning for a platform that traditionally supports more complex online infrastructure.
While Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive have remained characteristically silent about specific online features, the combination of industry whispers, strategic acquisitions like FiveM, and evolving gameplay systems in GTA Online all point toward the same direction.
We all knew GTA 6 would be ambitious. The question is whether Rockstar is actually bold enough to transform their flagship franchise from an open-world action game into gaming's most ambitious MMO. Based on everything we're hearing? It's looking increasingly likely.
Just look at how they've been breaking tradition with recent GTA Online updates, testing new approaches that could very well be laying groundwork for what's coming.
The next few months should reveal the truth behind all these rumblings, but one thing's for certain: if anyone has the resources, talent, and sheer audacity to pull off a years-longundertaking that led to the resignation of one of its co-founders, Dan Houser, it's Rockstar.
