Rockstar Explains ‘Grand Theft Auto Online’ Release Date

Rockstar vice president Dan Houser recently revealed why the company decided to release Grand Theft Auto Online two weeks after the GTA 5 hit retail shelves.

Although fans of the open-world crime saga are chomping at the bit to dive into multiplayer, Rockstar decided to delay the release of the online component by several days. According to Houser, the company hopes gamers get to the know the world of San Andreas during that time.

The Rockstar vice president said about the Grand Theft Auto Online release date:

“You can start multiplayer after two weeks and it will really give them a real focus on where to look at the thing. I think that separating it out will just help people look at it as different products in their own mind a bit more and really give it a good chance to try and play it and enjoy it.”

Houser also told Polygon that not everyone on the planet is smitten with multiplayer. Although titles such as Call of Duty definitely cater to online gameplay, the VP believes these games still have plenty of fans who only concern themselves with the single-player experience.

He continued:

“There’s a huge audience for people who love single-player adventures. And I think what we make is action adventure-games. Games with ever stronger mechanics and an ever stronger adventure component. They’re not quite RPG’s but it’s getting harder and harder to say what the difference is between an RPG and what we do. The space between the two has in the past few years has gotten smaller and smaller.”

When Grand Theft Auto Online arrives on October 1, players can explore a wholly unique online experience. In addition to multiplayer-only missions, side jobs, and stories, up to 15 players can interact with on another throughout the wilds of San Andreas.

Did you miss the multiplayer trailer? Check out the video below.

Did you pick up a copy of Grand Theft Auto 5 for Xbox 360 or PS4? Are you looking forward to checking out what Grand Theft Auto Online has to offer?

[Image via Rockstar Games / Take-Two Interactive]