Unprecedented Pause in GTA Online Update Announcements Leave Fans Puzzled
Rockstar Games is breaking tradition by not releasing its weekly GTA Online update and Newswire post for the first time in over a decade.
Very few things are a very sure thing in life. Death, taxes, and Rockstar Games' weekly Newswire post, specifically, for its regular and oft-minor Grand Theft Auto Online updates.
For as long as most players remember, Rockstar has released a weekly GTA Online update, accompanied by a Newswire post detailing all the new addition, features, and changes. However, for the first time ever, on January 9, this didn't happen. January 10 has already passed (at least, in most places around the world) and Rockstar still has yet to release anything.
As with anything related to Rockstar these days, most believe that this has something to do with an imminent Grand Theft Auto 6 announcement, which may or may not be related to Take-Two Interactive's next earnings call in February.
There are also speculations that this is related to the incoming PC release of Grand Theft Auto V: Expanded & Enhanced. Rockstar confirmed last year that the current-gen exclusive version of its best-selling title is coming to Windows PCs sometime early this year. It's worth noting that details of the original release of the game's nth remaster was also announced around the same time two years ago.
Another possibility is that Rockstar is breaking precedent and staying quiet because of the fires that are ravaging through much of Los Angeles as of the moment of writing.
Los Angeles, for those that don't know, serves as the real-life inspiration for Los Santos, the setting of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto V.
Rockstar has a history of paying respects for tragic events. In previous years, it has changed box arts, canceled modes, shut down servers, and delayed trailers in light of recent events.
Not to mention, the January 9 GTA Online update would've included a car called "Firebolt" along with appropriate fire-related marketing, which would come off as ill-timed and insensitive if released given the current situation in Los Angeles.
For now, fans can look forward to Rockstar continuing to drop teases about GTA 6 in GTA Online, such as what the developers recently did with this familiar-looking vehicle from the first GTA 6 trailer.