The Grand Theft Auto (GTA) gaming community was abuzz with excitement and speculation following a significant leak on Christmas Day, revealing that Rockstar Games had extensive plans for single-player downloadable content (DLC) for GTA 5. However, these plans never materialized, leaving fans to wonder about what might have been.
According to an Insider Gaming report, the full source code of GTA 5, published around Christmas, contains references to eight scrapped DLC expansions. These expansions, which include “SP Assassination Pack,” “SP Manhunt Pack,” “SP Norman Pack,” “Agent Trevor,” “Relationship Pack,” “Enterprise Pack,” “Prologue DLC,” and “LibertyV DLC,” hint at a range of intriguing possibilities for the game’s narrative and gameplay.
The specifics of these expansions are left to speculation. The most notable among them is “Agent Trevor,” which might have allowed players to explore Trevor’s life as an agent. The “Relationship Pack” could have introduced elements like dating or marriage into the game. Another exciting prospect was the “LibertyV DLC,” potentially a return to the iconic Liberty City from GTA IV. The “Manhunt Pack” might have been a nod to Rockstar Games’ 2003 title “Manhunt,” while the “Prologue DLC” could have set up the main events of GTA 5.
Why Rockstar Never Released These DLCs
The question arises: why did Rockstar Games shelve these ambitious plans? A significant factor appears to be the overwhelming success of GTA Online. Since its launch, GTA Online has been a financial powerhouse, generating nearly half a billion dollars annually. This success likely influenced Rockstar’s decision to focus resources on the online component rather than developing single-player expansions.
In 2017, Imran Sarwar, Director of Design at Rockstar, told Game Informer that several factors contributed to the decision to forego GTA 5 DLC. These included the time-consuming development of next-gen versions of GTA 5, the resource-intensive nature of GTA Online, and the impending release of Red Dead Redemption 2.
Sarwar emphasized that Rockstar’s commitment to perfectionism and the complexity of their games often mean that not everything is feasible, but their passion for single-player open-world games remains strong.
The Future of Rockstar Games
As of now, Red Dead Redemption 2, released in October 2018, hasn’t received any single-player DLC either. However, this could change as Rockstar Games shifts its focus and resources towards the highly anticipated GTA 6, slated for release in 2025.
This leak and Rockstar’s past decisions reflect the dynamic nature of game development, where plans often change in response to market trends, resource allocation, and strategic priorities.
