Should you spend your valuable free time playing Grand Theft Auto Online in 2021?
Well, we can assume that Grand Theft Auto V was abandoned, but what about Grand Theft Auto Online in 2021? Rockstar continues to release new content, unique playlists, hypercars worth many millions of digital dollars, and absurd flying motorcycles galore. Is it safe to assume Grand Theft Auto Online is worth playing in 2021?
You be the judge!
Looking Back at Grand Theft Auto Online
On August 15th, 2013, shortly before the official release of Grand Theft Auto V, developer Rockstar Games released a trailer (see it below) for Grand Theft Auto Online. It promised a living, breathing Los Santos filled to the brim with unique game mechanics, multiplayer shenanigans, and unbeatable customization options for your character, cars, etc.
On October 1st, 2013, about two weeks after the story mode launched, Grand Theft Auto Online officially released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. On November 18th, 2014, the online mode relaunched for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Sometime in late 2021, Rockstar will bring their packed open-world game to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
At launch, Grand Theft Auto Online was an absolute mess. If you remember 2013, you’ll apathetically remember the countless technical issues plaguing the game’s servers. It was a messy launch. But Rockstar did right by the community, and they fixed their biggest multiplayer game to date.
Rockstar conceived GTAO as an evolving online game, and they’ve lived up to that claim, too. To date, GTA Online has enjoyed additional content — major game-changing releases — every year since 2013. A few notable releases include:
- Grand Theft Auto Online Heists
- The Beach Bum Update
- The Executives and Other Criminals Update
- The Bikers Update
- The Gunrunning Update
- And many more!
You could purchase a skyrise office to run illicit goods from one point in the city to the other. You could buy a biker bar, then open up a methamphetamine cook shop to sell drugs on the black market. Or you could spend millions on an underground bunker and worm your way into the gunrunning business in Los Santos. The options are seemingly limitless. The world continues to evolve and change.
Grand Theft Auto Online in 2021
We’re done with 2020 (thank god!), but this year’s content for Grand Theft Auto Online has been, to put things lightly, lackluster at best. We’ve enjoyed a few content updates, including Gerald’s Last Play, The Diamond Casino Heist, and, most recently, the Los Santos Summer Special. Each one featured new game modes, cooperative missions, and vehicles to customize and race.
As a newcomer to GTA Online, you’ll start as we all did in the character creation interface before flying into Los Santos. But do not expect impromptu street racing, tennis matches, or relaxing golf on the weekends, as the intro implies. No, because Grand Theft Auto Online has grown into a monster of a game. Not an evil monster, mind you, but a big, ever-evolving one. Gone are the days of seriousness and gritty, down-to-earth criminal enterprises. Instead, look above as you step out of the airport because you might notice a hoverbike launching missiles at your face.
To a new player, GTA Online is overwhelming. Yeah, overwhelming is the most straightforward descriptor to the open-world multiplayer game. You are inundated by phone calls or text messages from NPCs, and death screens galore as griefers take their turn spoiling your adventure.
Despite the initial frustration, GTA Online is charming. It’s unlike any other open-world game on the market today because it does a lot, and it does much of that very well. GTA Online is overflowing with content. If you want to host a car meetup, go ahead and do so in your spare time. If you’re going to gather some friends and complete each heist in order, without dying, you can. You’ll earn a nice bonus for doing so, too. Or, if you want to jump straight into PvP mayhem, it’s there for the taking.
Cash is King
Rockstar never intended to support GTA Online for nearly a decade, and yet it has. Since 2013, they’ve released update after update, filled to the brim with new content. Mixed in with those updates have been a slew of new vehicles, weapons, clothing options, tattoos, apartments, garages, businesses, and even massive superyachts. It’s an expensive game.
If you’ve never played Grand Theft Auto Online, you’re likely thinking, “But it’s all in-game money, so who cares?” Well, here’s the thing, Rockstar is greedy as fuck. Some vehicles cost millions of dollars, but most jobs pay between $10,000 and $30,000. Unfortunately, Rockstar never altered the payout for heists, black market sales, or any other event in-game. It all pays the same as when each one launched.
You’re faced with two options: grind for cash, which takes hours upon hours, maybe even days, or spend real money on Shark Cards. The thing about Shark Cards is, like in-game costs, Rockstar never accounted for the inflation of in-game goods, so a Shark Card is barely scratching the surface.
Despite the overwhelming greed and often-tiresome grind, yes, we still recommend Grand Theft Auto Online in 2021. Why? Because despite the cost of many vehicles, businesses, or customization options, much of the content is free to enjoy without any in-game investment. It’s a fun experience, even with the griefers, that can only go up from here with the next-gen launch.
If you prefer the single-player version, may we recommend a few notable cheat codes to enhance your gameplay experience?!