Summary
Rockstar Games may have already provided the world with a monolithic single-player campaign inGrand Theft Auto Vbutplayers would have received even more story content were it not forGrand Theft Auto Online. Despite the narrative and characters earning critical acclaim from fans and critics alike, the crime-riddled stories of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor largely come to an end with the game’s credits role. Given Rockstar’s reputation for releasing massive expansions, fans expected some kind of DLC building upon the story, but due to shifting priorities, these projects were scrapped.
Speaking toSanInPlayon YouTube (viaVGC), Joseph Rubino, who served as a Senior Camera Artist onGrand Theft Auto V, confirmed that while work was being done on several single-player DLCs,the projects were ultimately scrapped once Rockstar realized how much of a “cash cow” it had inGTA Online:
“What happened was whenGTA Onlinecame out, it was so much of a cash cow and people were loving it so much thatit was hard to make an argument that a standalone DLC would out-compete that. I think looking back now I would say that you could probably do both, but that was a business decision that they made.”
Rubino goes on to note that the decision to cancel the DLCs frustrated him at the time, making him feel sour at the amount of content that was dropped. Fortunately,some aspects of the expansions were later incorporated intoGTA Onlineso it wasn’t a complete loss for the artist or his team.
10 Best Things to Do After Beating Grand Theft Auto 5
The massive city of Los Santos has plenty to offer long after the credits roll in Grand Theft Auto 5, giving you new ways to enjoy the game’s world.
A GTA V Expansion Would Have Been Fantastic
There’s Definitely Still Room For Single-Player Campaigns
While Rockstar may have ceased development onGTA V’s additional single-player content due to concerns it wouldn’t compete with the multiplayer mode,it’s not difficult to see players forking out additional money for more curated stories.Actor Steven Ogg, who plays Trevor in the game, recently revealed thatone of the DLCs would have turned his erratic Hellraiser into a super spy. Given his popularity amongst the community, one doesn’t have to work too hard to imagine such an explosive story selling well.
Unfortunately for those who didwant to return to the lives of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, single-player campaigns are significantly more expensive to produce thanan ongoing multiplayer mode. It’s much more cost-effective to simply expand upon a system by adding in new items rather than carefully directed, written, and polished cutscenes that involve dedicated teams of actors and producers. Having said that,given the amount of money generated byGTA Online, one has to imagine that Rockstar would have had enough money to work on bothat the same time.
Grand Theft Auto Vmay not receive any single-player expansions but fans of the franchise are currently looking to the future as Rockstar gears up for the upcoming sixth mainline game. Unveiled in a brief teaser trailer that revealed a return to Vice City,GTA VIwill introduce the series' first playable female protagonist. While a specific release date has yet to be confirmed, earnings reports suggest it willdrop in the fall of 2025.
