Insiders reveal GTA 6 Online mode plans - custom player-made experiences await

Rockstar is reportedly in talks with top Fortnite, Roblox and GTA creators about turning the next online mode for GTA into a creator platform.

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The news comes from Digiday, which reports that Rockstar is talking to creators about developing a platform for custom experiences within the GTA 6. At the moment, it's unknown if the next online mode for GTA will be called GTA 6 Online or simply GTA Online and if the current online experience will be rebranded to a legacy moniker such as GTA V Online or GTA Online Legacy.

Regardless of the name change, Rockstar is seemingly preparing to make the next online experience customizable by players through FiveM, a popular game modification that enables players to host and join multiplayer servers where hundreds of users can play simultaneously. The information comes from three industry insiders with knowledge of the Rockstar meetings that required anonymity to protect business relationships.

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FiveM is one of the biggest things maintaining GTA 5's relevancy, as these custom servers where players can role-play characters and lifestyles within the virtual world are watched by hundreds of thousands of viewers every month and make for a fantastic sandbox experience for content creators that then share the footage with their audiences.

Because of this, GTA 5 still remains one of the most-watched games on Twitch.

Rockstar initially banned many of the servers on FiveM but then, in 2023, decided to purchase the company, signaling the acceptance of custom experiences within its games and, moreover, the potential for a big integration into GTA 6.

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So, what could this look like for the next GTA Online? It's possible Rockstar is planning on releasing a metaversal universe of custom-built experiences that include user-generated content (UCG) with an attached UCG creator economy. For those who don't know, a UCG creator economy involves granting individuals the ability to modify the game environment, add/customize game assets, and be rewarded via a cut of item/asset sales through revenue share programs. Economies such as this already exist in other video games such as Fortnite and Roblox.

If Rockstar is working on such an implementation, I believe it would benefit the longevity of GTA 6 considerably. GTA 6 doesn't need any help in terms of initial sales, but as the years go by, players will drop off if there aren't new things to enjoy within the game. If GTA 6 has dedicated Online with customizable servers for players, Rockstar will likely charge subscription fees for players to participate and also take a cut of each of the virtual items being sold between players - in return, players get endless amounts of content and experiences within the incredible world Rockstar has built. Not to mention Rockstar will generate revenue for years into the future.

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Lastly, having customizable servers that players can enjoy makes for endless streams of video content that act as consistent marketing for the game, which will maintain its relevancy even after the typical falloff period for a title. This seems like an absolute no-brainer to me.