A new report suggests GTA 6 Online may not arrive until long after the original game launches. Despite the massive success of GTA Online, Rockstar hasn’t yet commented on its plans for the online portion of GTA 6, indicating it certainly won’t be present at launch, at a bare minimum.
GTA Online has become so fundamental to the identity of Grand Theft Auto that it’s very easy to forget that it didn’t actually launch until two weeks after GTA 5. This gave players ample opportunity to get familiar with Los Santos and complete GTA 5‘s story before jumping into fun with friends. However, Rockstar featured GTA Online in pre-release material for GTA 5 – something that has yet to materialize for GTA 6. Unless something changes between now and its November 19 launch, it definitely seems that any potential version of GTA 6 Online is some time away.
GTA 6 Online Could Arrive Up to Two Years After Launch, It’s Claimed
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Image via Rockstar Games -
Image via Rockstar Games -
Image via Rockstar Games
In a recent report by Forbes, journalist Paul Tassi addressed Rockstar’s apparent refusal to talk about GTA 6 Online, stating, “The most likely situation here is that we are a year or two out, at least, from GTA 6 Online, rather than two weeks, and that will very clearly not come with the end-of-service for GTA Online.” This would put it, at worst, as a late 2028 launch, even later than the rumored GTA 6 PC release window.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
It’s important to note that this has not come from an official Rockstar source, and Tassi uses existing evidence and the developer’s previous form to speculate on when GTA 6 Online could arrive. There is every possibility that it could still be released shortly after the base game, even if GTA 6‘s marketing campaign hasn’t acknowledged its existence just yet. But the lack of discussion around it is certainly noticeable, especially when it’s expected to become such a crucial part of the game.
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When GTA 6 Online is eventually released, whether it be a week, a month, or a year after the base game, it’s practically guaranteed to be an enormous success. Rockstar has continued to expand on GTA 5‘s online gameplay over the last 13 years, with regular new content keeping players busy the entire time. Thanks to Shark Cards, GTA Online continues to generate tons of revenue for Rockstar, and it’s not hard to see how the next iteration will almost certainly follow the same pipeline.
It is notable that Rockstar has already stated that GTA 6 will not feature any microtransactions. That doesn’t mean that GTA 6 Online won’t, and it would be a massive surprise given the amount of money in Shark Cards. The only way to know Rockstar’s plans for sure is for the developer to actually announce them. And right now, it doesn’t seem as though it’s anywhere near that point for GTA 6 Online.
- Released
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November 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Rating Pending – Likely Mature 17+
