Grand Theft Auto and the Metaverse: All You Need to Know

The Grand Theft Auto series, developed by Rockstar Games, is one of the most popular of all time. The final iteration of the iconic open-world crime simulator, Grand Theft Auto V, has sold almost 200 million units since its 2013 release. Its online version has hundreds of thousands of concurrent players. With heavy anticipation of Grand Theft Auto VI, many are wondering if the game — and the series in general — will embrace the metaverse.

The metaverse for gaming

Although VR, blockchain, and cryptocurrencies are growing in popularity, they aren’t yet as mainstream as traditional gaming, so many video game developers still haven’t embraced them. However, as technologies like VR, 5G, and VPNs become less expensive and more accessible, this will change. 

For example, VPNs can help gamers play with people on the other side of the world without lag and will likely increase metaverse adoption. For example, ExpressVPN can reduce ping (latency) to facilitate global gaming — a key feature of the metaverse. Low latency is essential for smooth VR gaming experiences, and VPNs can help. Alongside the boom in 5G, traditional technological limitations are sure to be broken down, and the metaverse will be accessible to all.

Will the GTA series ever embrace VR?

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Rockstar has never provided official support for VR in its games. Although there have been extremely prominent mods released that let players explore the world of Grand Theft Auto V (as well as another massively popular Rockstar title, Red Dead Redemption 2), these have since been taken down on Rockstar’s orders, as reported by IGN in 2022. 

On the one hand, this could indicate that the studio is planning its own VR offerings and doesn’t want to compete with third parties. On the other hand, it may simply be another case of developers attempting to protect their intellectual property. Time will tell.

In 2021, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg announced a VR port of Rockstar’s beloved 2005 classic Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the Quest 2. However, no updates on this project have been shared since this announcement. 

GTA VI and Cryptocurrency

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In 2022, a leak from Rockstar insiders claimed that Grand Theft Auto VI will have an in-game cryptocurrency. As GTA Online already includes not one but two in-game stock markets, this may not be a huge jump. 

However, the concept of using real-world cryptocurrencies in the game — or vice-versa — seems less likely. Rockstar has banned GTA servers from using cryptocurrencies or crypto assets such as NFTs. While this could indicate the studio’s plans to introduce its own cryptocurrency that works both in-game and in the real world, it may also indicate the company’s decision not to get involved with real-world crypto at all.

What could a Grand Theft Auto metaverse look like?

Grand Theft Auto seems to be the ideal game to adopt metaverse functionalities like VR and cryptocurrency. The free-roaming, open-world aspect of the series seems tailor-made for VR, and the gameplay’s focus on making money makes cryptocurrency inclusion a distinct possibility. As of now, we’ll have to wait for more updates!