Despite its release more than seven years ago, GTA Online is more popular than ever. Rockstar Games confirmed that 2020 set the game’s player count record, which means more people played Grand Theft Auto Online in 2020 than any previous year.
The popularity of Grand Theft Auto Online can be attributed to the constant stream of updates and new content that Rockstar continues to release. Several updates were released last year that provided players with new vehicles and missions. The year ended with Grand Theft Auto Online’s biggest update to date, Perico Key Heist, which introduced a new location for players to explore, as well as new vehicles and a heist that can be completed alone or with friends.
It’s no wonder, then, that 2020 had the highest Grand Theft Auto Online player count to date. Rockstar did not provide exact figures, but their claim is supported by an analysis of the global digital games market from Nielson’s SuperData research agency. The analysis found that Grand Theft Auto 5, which includes Grand Theft Auto Online, was ranked fourth on the list of the highest grossing console games of December 2020. It’s an impressive feat considering the age of the game and its competition. , which included new titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
The analysis also revealed that December 2020 was Grand Theft Auto Online’s highest grossing month in the more than seven years the game has been available. The gains were undoubtedly boosted by the El Cayo Perico Heist update, which brought in new players and reinvigorated the existing player base. It’s worth noting that the update was released for free, which means that the high profits come from micro-transactions, not from players purchasing the DLC.
Rockstar announced that it will celebrate Grand Theft Auto Online’s new player counting milestone by awarding free bonuses to anyone who logs in before February 12. Bonuses include a Rockstar cap and a Rockstar t-shirt with wheels. Rockstar said that players should look forward to more reward events in the near future.
The continued success of Grand Theft Auto Online likely means that Rockstar is in no rush to release the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto 6, despite rumors that the developer is hiding clues about the upcoming game in GTA Online. After all, Grand Theft Auto Online is already Rockstar’s most lucrative project, so it wouldn’t make sense for the company to undermine it by releasing a new Grand Theft Auto game.
Rockstar has said that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be a single player experience, suggesting that the game will not have a multiplayer component. This suggests that the company may decide to continue updating Grand Theft Auto Online with new updates and enhancements, rather than creating an entirely new game from scratch.
Grand Theft Auto Online está disponible para PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One y Xbox Series X / S.
Sources: Screenrant, SuperData