Should Rockstar Games focus more on Online rather than GTA 6?

After the success of GTA Online and Red Dead Online, many fans are concerned whether Rockstar will go back to making single-player games.

The success of GTA Online cannot be denied, with Rockstar being able to pull massive amounts of money from the game yearly. Not only that but the game, seven years since its release, boasts of quite a large player base, which is extremely valuable for an Online game.

Rockstar Games has made it no secret that games like GTA Online and Red Dead Online are more than just tacked-on Online components, but a whole other game unto themselves.

This is most exemplified by the games soon to be available as standalone titles apart from their single-player counterparts. Red Dead Online is currently available as a standalone title, and GTA Online will quickly follow suit.

Given the kind of success that the games continue to witness, it only makes sense for Rockstar to continue building on that formula. However, that wouldn't exactly be in line with who Rockstar is as a game studio and the kind of games they have put out in the past.

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GTA Online or GTA 6: Which one should Rockstar pay more attention to?

The gaming industry has seen a major shift, and Online-oriented games have fared far better in the long run, as witnessed by free-to-play games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and many more of its ilk.

The "games as a service" model has worked quite well for studios as it allows for the game to generate revenue long after the game's launch with the help of periodic updates.

GTA Online has also experienced the same with its title updates bringing in new players each time around and Shark Cards generating revenue on a daily basis.

That would have been a cause for worry for fans of single-player games like GTA and Red Dead Redemption, but it seems like Rockstar Games remain solid in their focus on single-player experiences.

A GTA sequel is "inevitable"

In a recent interview with GQ, Rockstar devs Tarek Hamad and Scott Bucchard claimed that a sixth numbered GTA title is "inevitable," with the former's response to whether Rockstar Games continuing to make single-player games being a conclusive "absolutely."

The industry has been witnessing a somewhat contentious game of tug-of-war with single-player games like GTA or Uncharted trying to maintain relevancy and sustainability in a space dominated by games like Fortnite.

Studios like Naughty Dog have been quite adamant in their dedication to providing quality narrative-based single-player games in the future. It does seem like Rockstar will follow suit in the same way with the sequel to GTA V and possibly other new IPs.

What makes fans flock to Rockstar's titles is the fact that they are solid single-player experiences such as the GTA games. While that is a knock on the brilliant online experience that is GTA Online, the major portion of the fanbase still primarily know Rockstar as a single-player game studio.

So, shifting focus to putting out Online games exclusively might be detrimental to Rockstar's position in the industry.