GTA 6 online mode appears to receive Rockstar's first public acknowledgment, via mention of in-development "32 player format" in legal docs
Up until now, Rockstar Games have kept mum about what plans they have for the future of Grand Theft Auto multiplayer once GTA 6 releases on consoles in November. Thanks to filings submitted by the studio as part of the final hearing in a legal battle over the firings of 34 developers last year, that silence appears to have been broken. Read more
GTA 6's online mode may be getting its first public acknowledgment from Rockstar Games, according to legal documents filed in a recent lawsuit. The official announcement comes via a reference to an "online 32 player format" that was discussed amongst fired staff members in a union-run Discord group. The mention of this highly confidential feature suggests that Rockstar could be planning a new framework for GTA 6 or a separate GTA Online iteration.
In the filings, Jennifer Kolbe, Rockstar's studio director, expressed concern over staff members sharing details about the online player count for a confidential project. This alarm was amplified by a previous leak of design decisions and character names prior to GTA VI's reveal, which had caused significant damage to the marketing campaign.
Despite the irony, Rockstar's filing demonstrates their justification for the firings that took place last year. The fired staff were accused of leaking confidential information on a public forum, which is the central allegation in Rockstar's efforts to win the case. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has accused Rockstar of union busting, while the final hearing in this legal battle is set to continue until at least October 15th.
As for the 32 player sessions in GTA 6's online mode, the writer is more interested in whether missile-firing Oppressor Mark 2 rocket bikes from GTA 5's online component will be transferred to the new game.
Written by urgent.news from Rock Paper Shotgun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
