GTA 5 Single-Player DLC Scrapped Due to GTA Online Being a “Cash Cow”, Per Former Rockstar Developer

  • 05-07-2024 |
  • James Lamps

Whispers about a standalone story-driven expansion for Grand Theft Auto 5 have been circulated for years. Back in 2014, Take-Two Interactive even hinted at ambitious plans concerning such content, which, unfortunately, never saw the light of day.

Analyses of last year's sudden public exposure of the game's source code suggested multiple expansions, one of which was Agent Trevor, were planned. Steve Ogg, the actor who lends his voice to Trevor, somewhat confirmed this in a YouTube live-stream session in April 2024 alongside his co-star Ned Luke.

Adding to the pile of evidence was a scoop offered by ex-senior camera artist and virtual cinematographer Joseph Rubino, who has clocked six years of experience with Rockstar. While conversing with SanInPlay, Rubino shared his contributions to the project, which was eventually sidelined because of the undisputed success of GTA's online mode.

Rubino reflected on the company's decision. Though he expressed dissatisfaction over the exciting project's cancellation, he acknowledged GTA Online's profitability as a reason strong enough to trump the perceived returns from a standalone expansion. He shared that elements of the half-completed Agent Trevor were later incorporated into GTA Online.

Rockstar North has since introduced narrative-driven content to GTA Online, like “The Contract,” which expands upon Franklin Clinton's life after the campaign and features tracks by Dr. Dre.

The game development team's attention is currently keenly directed towards Grand Theft Auto 6, slated to release in Fall 2025 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. There are murmurs about considerable post-launch content for the upcoming game, yet nothing has been officially announced.