The New GTA Online DLC Was Supposed To Connect To GTA 6 Until Rockstar Changed Everything

Linking the final days of GTA Online to the beginning of GTA 6 would make sense from both narrative and marketing perspectives.

Tez2 theorizes that Rockstar initially planned a two-part downloadable content release, with the second installment timed to coincide with GTA 6's expected launch in May 2026. However, after the second official delay, Rockstar changed plans mid-way, reworking the Sahara Surveillance missions and rebranding the company into KnoWay Out, all the while removing any explicit connections to GTA 6.

Of course, it's possible the Sahara references were always meant to be subtle Easter eggs rather than major plot connections. Perhaps Rockstar simply decided during development that directly naming the missions after a GTA 6 company would reveal too much too soon, regardless of timing concerns.

What we do know for certain is that the story isn't over. After completing both the KnoWay Out missions and the subsequent mission featuring Michael De Santa, players receive a phone call from Mr. Faber. The call heavily implies that Faber will return and that players haven't seen the last of him or his surveillance empire.

Michael's appearance in the latest update completes the trio of Grand Theft Auto 5 protagonists finally appearing in GTA Online. Thus, bringing Franklin and Trevor into future updates doesn't seem completely far-fetched now that we know what Michael's been up to after all these years.

Whether Sahara appears as a major presence in future GTA Online content or remains just a GTA 6 company that almost crossed over is something that we'll have to wait to find out.

For now, we can almost be 100% certain that Rockstar has other plans for GTA Online to bridge the now-longer gap between the last few months of what's easily one of the most popular titles as we know it and its successor, a title that's expected to make multiple billions over the course of its lifetime and exceed all expectations.