Gamers have been enjoying Grand Theft Auto V for a few weeks now, but they have not yet experienced the complete game. Tomorrow, Oct. 1, Rockstar Games will launch Grand Theft Auto Online to players and we now know when to expect GTA Online to release thanks to an official update from Rockstar on Sept. 30 via Rockstar Newswire.
Grand Theft Auto V players will first need to download a small patch for GTA V prior to accessing GTA Online, the company announced today. Once the patch is downloaded and installed, players will be able to access GTA Online via the Grand Theft Auto V game menu immediately. Rockstar expects the update to be live around 7 A.M. ET tomorrow morning – though it depends on when the patch is available on Xbox Live and PSN.
In addition to revealing the expected hour of launch for GTA Online, Rockstar has also detailed a number of features found in the online game mode and when the game takes place.
For those interested, Grand Theft Auto Online takes place a few months prior to the events of GTA V’s main story.
Below you will find new details about GTA Online.
GTA$ and Fair Play
- To allay some concerns we’ve heard on this subject, we can assure you that the game is designed such that the option of purchasable GTA$ should not disrupt the playing field – and there are a few mechanics in place to help ensure that. All players still have to rank up with Reputation Points (RP) in order to get access to purchase high-end items. No one can begin GTA Online and simply spend a lot of money out of the gate to get a leg up. You will have to earn your stripes and play to unlock access to the aspirational clothes, guns and other items. Please also remember that in GTA Online, hustling to afford the finer things by earning GTA$ doing robberies, stick-ups, winning races and other profitable activities is a fun gameplay experience rather than ever being a ‘grind’.
An Ever-Growing Collection of Jobs
- Grand Theft Auto Online is a long-term GTA experience that you can expect to be built-upon, to grow and to evolve in many ways in the coming weeks, months and beyond. As part of that, there will be a massive amount of Jobs available to play over time as we will be regularly adding new ones for you to enjoy. Additionally, you will soon be helping to add content to the game world yourselves, by creating custom Race and Deathmatch Jobs through the Content Creator tool which we plan to release this fall. Grand Theft Auto Online is a collaborative project between Rockstar and all GTA players worldwide, so expect that we’ll effectively be working on it together from day one. As a very small example, the Crew Hierarchies feature that was introduced a few weeks back on Social Club was a direct result of popular fan feedback from last year – and we’ll be looking at the GTA Online community’s feedback, input and ideas constantly to help inform how the game itself will grow and evolve.
The Character Creation System
- The hereditary-based character creation system of Grand Theft Auto Online allows for a multitude of options to create your avatar that will then inhabit the online world of Los Santos & Blaine County. Choose your gender then decide on your mother and father. From there, you can choose to give one parent genetic dominance or leave them more evenly matched. The choice is yours. Next, you adjust a set of lifestyle variables which help determine your character’s appearance and starting stats. Decide how much sleep he/she gets, how much partying they indulge in, how much honest work versus illegal activity, and more. Essentially, you can adjust the genetics to wind up with a fresh faced lad or lass or a grizzled, haggard degenerate or anywhere in between! You’ll also be able to preview your end result in real time all throughout to ensure you’re satisfied before putting your character on a direct flight to LS. Of course, once you’re out and about in the open world, you can further customize your character with haircuts, clothing and accessories to suit your tastes.
