5 features GTA Online should borrow from other online multiplayer games

GTA Online is one of Rockstar's most ambitious projects to date and one that seems to grow each year exponentially. It has a massive player base that tunes into the game every week and is generally satisfied with the way Rockstar has gone about introducing new content and features.

GTA Online might be far from a perfect game, but it certainly does more right than wrong when it comes to gameplay and design. However, AAA game development and multiplayer games specifically, look at other games for inspiration to iterate and possibly do better.

That kind of mutual understanding between developers forms the bedrock of video game development, and GTA Online can certainly improve from an injection of inspiration.

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Features that GTA Online borrows from other online multiplayer games

#5 - Ping System: Apex Legends

One of the most ingenious improvements to the standard multiplayer gameplay introduced by Respawn Entertainment was the Ping System. This is a small addition that would make a gigantic difference, which is a massive surprise that more multiplayer games have not utilized it before.

Essentially, the Ping System enables players to communicate with each other even without the use of microphones. Since not everyone will be using a headset or microphone in GTA Online, this becomes an extremely useful way to carry out heists and other contact missions.

Currently, most players can use GTA Online to indicate direction and action to point at using emotes that aren't very effective.

#4 - Sync Shot: Ghost Recon

Ghost Recon: Wildlands and its sequel Breakpoint aren't perfect games by any means, but they both have a lot of neat features. Essentially, the Sync Shot mechanic allows players to line up their shots and execute a number of players in one fell swoop.

This allows players to stealthily move through sections and clear out enemies quickly. It has become quite handy in both all-out combat and stealth sections. GTA Online, while not truly a tactical multiplayer experience, could use something like Sync Shot.

#3 - The Dark Zone: The Division

The Dark Zone is perhaps The Division's best aspect and something that GTA Online should include. Essentially, The Dark Zone is a hostile, no man's land with danger lurking around each corner.

The Dark Zone will step up the difficulty in a big way and offer both PvP and PvE opposition. Players will find high-tier loot quite often in The Dark Zone, but extracting and decontaminating it will require a ton of work.

A similar no man's land-like situation in GTA Online with high-tier loot would be extremely appreciated by fans.

#2 - Roles: Red Dead Online

GTA Online need not look any further than its Rockstar brethren for inspiration as Red Dead Online has quite a number of neat tricks up its sleeve.

In Red Dead Online, players must pick and follow a certain "Role" to develop one's character along a unique path that is exclusive to the role.

There are several roles in the game, such as Bounty Hunter, Moonshiner, Collector, etc. This not only adds a certain level of structure to progression in the game, but it also allows for a lot of player agency and provides a ton of context to the player's actions.

GTA Online could use some of these features as players could settle into roles for heists such as Hacker, Safe-Man, Muscle, etc. This would add a lot of depth to the heist system in GTA Online.

#1 - Procedurally-generated missions/matches

Perhaps one of the most controversial subjects in online multiplayer games, players have contended with procedural generation for quite some time. This essentially means that players will drop into a randomized mission and face different kinds of opposition each time.

This is perfect for a PvE mode and especially for GTA Online players who have grown bored of the match types and missions in the game currently. While it is difficult to complain about gameplay variety in GTA Online, players can always do with more variation, and procedurally-generated levels might just be the trick.