While speculation is rife about Grand Theft Auto 6 after a high-profile leak of GTA 6 videos, the exact nature of Rockstar’s follow-up to Grand Theft Auto Online - GTA 5’s highly successful online component - isn’t exactly clear. While some fans are looking forward to continuing their adventures, others are hoping that Rockstar can bring back the fondly remembered early days of GTA Online by resetting player progress and reassessing the game’s balance. In recent years, Online has faced criticism for its overpowered gadgets, complex management systems, and a general staleness of gameplay, which is par for the course given that Rockstar is updating the game less frequently now that it's full steam ahead on GTA 6.
In its current, sometimes strange state, Grand Theft Auto Online continues to be one of the most popular and high-profile online multiplayer games in the world. Regularly in the top 10 most-viewed games on Twitch, and presumably still generating an incredible amount of revenue each day, it might seem unwise to throw out so much player progress when the next installment arrives. However, both hardcore and casual fans of GTA Online have reasons to look forward to a fresh start.
TheGamer recently ventured over to the official GTA Online subreddit to find out what fans are looking for in the much-anticipated follow-up, and the consensus was that a blank slate might have a positive effect, all things considered. Most seem to agree that the GTA$ players have accumulated will not carry over into GTA 6, given the popularity and profitability of GTA Online's Shark Card economy. Despite this, many seemed more excited about the prospect of GTA Online going back to basics, with some Reddit users noting a reset without some of the game's more powerful vehicles would be a welcome change of pace.
GTA 6's Online Needs To Please Both Old and New Players
The major issue that Rockstar faces in starting fresh with GTA 6 is the fact that a player's GTA$ - GTA Online’s in-game currency and, more importantly, its microtransaction currency - likely wouldn’t carry over. This would effectively make null and void all the very real money that players have invested into the game, potentially provoking the ire of some fans. However, by resetting every player’s relative power level and removing some of the more controversial weapons and vehicles (e.g., the griefer's choice, GTA Online's Oppressor Mk2), GTA 6 would be much friendlier to new players, especially those who have never played a GTA game before.
Speaking of new players, starting with a blank slate would hopefully alleviate some of the more complicated elements that have been added to GTA Online over the years. Becoming the CEO of a company, the MC of a biker gang, a nightclub promoter, a destruction derby driver, and a satellite owner all in one sounds like great fun, until the player is forced to slog through delivery missions just to make enough money to cut it with the high rollers. If Rockstar are building GTA 6 from the ground up, they could incorporate many of these elements while also making them much more manageable and fun to engage with.
With video game developers often facing backlash over microtransactions, Rockstar shouldn't take the decision to effectively cancel the GTAO community’s microtransactions lightly when they approach GTA 6. On the other hand, given that the game has been continuously active for nearly ten years, it's a much less egregious breach of consumer trust compared to games such as EA's FIFA series, which wipes in-game purchases with every yearly entry. Going back to a simpler economy and player meta in Grand Theft Auto 6's multiplayer component might breathe some life back into the game for those who have become bored with GTA Online's gameplay.
Source: TheGamer