While there’s many different success stories out there in gaming, tales of games that have transcended into the culture at large such as Fortnite, there’s not anything quite like Grand Theft Auto 5. Across two console generations, and soon to be three, the game has remained on the top of the charts without even being free to play. While part of it is the cultural love of GTA, more is probably owed to its online mode, which has become game in and of itself. For many (and I do mean many), that’s fine and dandy. However, for those craving a bit more of that single player experience, it’s been disappointing. Well, you may not get what you want, but it seems Rockstar does want to make Online more solo-friendly.
In a recent interview with GQ, Design Director Scott Butchard talked about GTA Online‘s latest expansion, The Cayo Perico Heist. It’s the biggest update to the game thus far and something unique versus previous updates is that it could be played solo or multiplayer. That was a pleasant surprise for many, and it seems that’s a lot of the idea going forward. Butchard even outright says the aim is to inject those “single-player elements” into future expansions.
“It’s something that’s been on our minds for quite some time and the community has been vocal about it,” Butchard said. “It’s something we’re keen to carry forward,” he adds. “We want to respect teams and players who want to play co-op. But at the same time still allow solo players to still get just as valid an experience out of it. There’s perks to both. If you go in there by yourself, you’re taking 100 per cent of the cut and it’s a lot easier to do stealth and plan when you’re not on comms. With multiple players you can split up and do multiple things at once. You can take more of the secondary objectives, so I could send Tarek off to the control tower to take down air defences while I start looting from the wee cash piles.”
There had been rumors that couple of single player expansions were axed in favor of Online content last year, and it’s clear that’s where the majority of the focus has been at for quite some time with Grand Theft Auto 5. While it may not be exactly what those craving solo play want, it’s at least a sign that you’ll get a bit more content you can enjoy all alone.