Subverting expectations may not have been Sony’s intention when it kicked off last week’s PlayStation 5 presentation with Grand Theft Auto V, but it certainly had that effect on thousands who had tuned in with the hopes of seeing some new games in action. Rockstar’s blockbuster title is, after all, nearing seven years of age, and considering the sequel first debuted on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Sony had simply made a blunder and beamed the wrong video onto millions of screens across the globe.
The reality, of course, is that GTA V and its Online counterpart (this is the important part) are getting yet another re-release next year for PS5 and Xbox Series X, though those who buy the former console will find themselves considerably richer in-game when release day rolls around. As confirmed by Rockstar and with immediate effect, PS4 owners will receive a cool GTA$ 1 million every month just for logging in, and that’s not all.
The digital cash giveaway is confirmed to be in effect up until GTA V‘s aforementioned next-gen launch sometime in 2021 and if it’s just the online portion you’re interested, Rockstar’s sweetening the deal by making the latter a standalone, completely free experience for all PS5 owners. As of writing, it’s not entirely clear if the deal is PlayStation-only, though the monthly bursary definitely is.
An unexpected announcement, then, no doubt, and while the millions that continue to enjoy GTA Online a daily basis will no doubt be ecstatic that Rockstar will continue to support the experience for what looks like years to come, it certainly leads to growing doubt in regards to Grand Theft Auto 6. While development is said to have already begun for the highly anticipated follow-up, it could well be a while yet, until we learn anything concrete. Watch this space.