It's finally 2025, meaning Grand Theft Auto 6 is within reach, but according to a new leak, the equally anticipated follow-up to GTA Online may end up being sold separately from the base game. The leaker claims that GTA 6 publisher Rockstar will sell two versions of the game, and the new GTA Online will launch the same day as the base game.

Spotted in a GTA forum discussing the game's release and potential price point, a known leaker named Tez2 claimed that Rockstar and parent company Take-Two Interactive will sell GTA Online separately from the story mode. The base game will then be a package that includes GTA 6's story mode and online. This would be a departure for Rockstar as their previous online modes, GTA Online and Red Dead Online, were tied to purchasing the game at launch. However, some subscription services allow players to access GTA Online, and Rockstar eventually sold Red Dead Online separately. This leak comes amid rampant speculation about GTA 6's price tag, especially as the cost of video games has finally risen since GTA 5's release.

Why Selling Online Separately Matters

Some Players May Choose Just To Play The Cheaper GTA Online

At the time of writing, there is no official price for GTA 6. It's long been assumed the game will be sold under the now-standard price tag of $70, but analyst Matthew Ball claimed GTA 6 could be sold at $80-$100 as its starting point. This has turned a lot of heads, and GTA 6 fans were considerably alarmed by the idea of paying for GTA 6's base game at such a high price. This is why Tez2's claim that a cheaper and stand-alone edition of the new GTA Online has some fans excited. GTA Online is massive, and there are plenty of players who may only want to experience the online version.

If Tez2's leak is correct, there is also the prospect that the package with both story mode and online will stick to industry-standard pricing. Rockstar would have to consider how much cheaper they would want to make the online mode, and it's hard to justify making GTA Online cost as much as the base game with a massive story mode. Still, making GTA Online standalone at the launch of GTA 6 stands to make Rockstar a lot of money. The game is projected to make $3 billion within the first year of its launch, and even if players buy just the cheaper GTA Online, most will still participate in microtransactions that made the current version of GTA Online so popular.

How Reliable Are GTA VI Leaks?

This Is Still Just Speculation After All

With so little information on GTA 6's features and just one trailer from two years ago, it's hard not to get lost in the rumors and speculation about the game. Even the legitimacy of Tez2's leaks has been called into question by GTA 6 fans as far back as two years ago. Some see the leaker as just a data miner who made a few correct educated guesses. Further, the leakers have rarely tried to position themselves as true insiders. The GTA 6 rumor mill never stops, but there's good evidence to think GTA 6 won't slip out of 2025.

Of course, speculation is half the fun with these giant games. GTA 6 is perhaps the most anticipated game of all time, and that anticipation has grown thanks to Rockstar keeping most of the game's secrets under wraps after a massive leak revealed some early gameplay tests. Fans are looking everywhere for any new information; some even believe Rockstar is hiding the next GTA 6 trailer's date in their social media posts. It's important to take all of this with a grain of salt and to have fun while we're along for the ride.

Sources: GTAForums, Reddit (Who is Tez2?)