Even if you’ve never touched a video game in your life, you would still know about that game made by Rockstar Games where you could steal cars, run over NPCs, and shoot stuff.

Grand Theft Auto V is an open-world action adventure game that broke more records than there are words in this article.It is considered by many to be the game of the century, and I couldn’t agree more.

Today we’ll be discussing why Grand Theft Auto Online (the multiplayer section of GTA 5) is so popular and why I, and millions of other players, have spent hundreds of hours playing it.

Let’s jump right in.

10. Amazing graphics

A screenshot from the beautiful city of Los Santos.

First things first, let’s admit it: you wouldn’t look at something for a thousand hours if what you’re looking at is ugly or, even worse, unpolished.

That is not the case with GTA; despite the fact that it was released TEN YEARS AGO, it still feels brand new.The high-resolution textures combined with beautiful effects and changing weather from day to night make for a realistic experience.

GTA Online on PS5 runs at 4K-60FPS ray tracing, thanks to continuous updates for newer generation consoles.Not too bad for a 2013 game, huh?

While it may feel like Rockstar is milking the cow, the visual enhancements are certainly appreciated. Players love that about GTA Online.

9. Populated lobbies

Are public lobbies treating you well? Run if you see a flying bike. 

Unlike other multiplayer games, GTA Online is refusing to die. Neither Rockstar nor players are walking away from GTA Online unless GTA 6 comes out. Why so?

Because new players are joining every day and old blood is too attached to walk away. That means you always have a full lobby, and that very lobby can contain a level 1 player exploring around and a level 700 player digging for a hidden easter egg.

Lobbies in GTA Online hold around 30 players; these thirty almost always have a group hunting each other and ruining their criminal enterprise, and it’s tempting to join in!

You’re never too late for GTA Online because thousands are creating their characters with you too. A player quits, another joins.

8. Attention to detail

Did you know that there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to GTA Online easter eggs only? 

A more subtle aspect that veteran players love about GTA Online is the insane attention to detail.

Rockstar is known for doing this; they always include easter eggs and secrets to confuse players and keep them looking.It’s an amazing strategy, as you’re always trying to uncover deep secrets and conspiracies in a game that’s supposed to be about stealing cars and robbing banks!

There are trolls, murder cases, serial killers, and easter eggs/references from previous games in GTA Online enough for you to spend dozens of hours looking through YouTube trying to analyse what you just found.

An entire GTA community was built around these subtle details, and they're not just secrets. Even the small mechanics and menu prompts are crafted so well that you’d still be learning about new features 400 levels in!

Rockstar is just brilliant when it comes to shipping a polished product.

7. You’re free to play however you want

If you could build a life of crime, which crimes would you choose to commit? 

In GTA Online, you can choose to be a CEO running an illegal enterprise, a nightclub owner with shady activities, a gun or drug trafficker, or a simple gun for hire. Too poor for that? You can always pull a heist and get your business running.

Not interested in crime? You can be a racer or a parachutist. The choice is yours; you can go hijack a plane or ride a Ferris wheel.

GTA Online lets you choose your path, and players absolutely love that. Only in GTA can you choose a path and follow it for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of gameplay.

There are dozens of ways you can make money in the GTA, and it’s all up to you. Good driver? Good race coordinator? Break into a bank. Good leader? Start a motorcycle club and start a drug trade.

6. Hundreds of hours worth of content

Lamar Davis convincing you that stealing the lowriders is absolutely necessary for “business”

Another thing players love about GTA Online is the absolutely incredible size of this game! It’s supposed to be a part of GTA 5, but instead it feels like a different game.

Ready for some statistics? GTA Online offers:

• Over 10 heists
• Over 40 DLCs, some major, some minor, are all free updates.
• Over 30 contact missions
• Purchasable items are worth $1 billion in game cash.

Realistically speaking, you would need about 800 hours of gameplay to say you’ve done and seen everything in GTA Online, and that’s a big number considering GTA 5 is only 60 hours long.

You never run out of things to do in GTA Online.

5. Frequent updates and DLCs

Grand Theft Auto Online does not require you to purchase DLCs, updates are always free! 

Grand Theft Auto Online, which was released in 2013, still receives WEEKLY updates. Each week, Rockstar releases new cars, modes, missions, races, and deals.

DLCs were previously released every three months; now they are released every six months.That's insane, considering that servers for newer games were shut down.

The reason why Rockstar pays good attention to updates is to keep players interested and keep the cash flow running. Remember how I said that all the updates and DLCs are free? Well, not quite.

DLCs in GTA Online are usually about a heist or a new business, and since the economy is so inflated in GTA, you have to buy Shark Cards (in-game currency bought with real money) just to afford the next DLC. It’s either that or grind for a hundred hours just so you can afford one DLC.

That is pretty much the only downside to GTA Online, but money aside, Rockstar is taking good care of the game with updates and fixes.

4. Active community

Car meets have been around ever since GTA Online came out, and you can still attend one today.

It’s not just the updates that keep Grand Theft Auto Online alive; it’s also the fan base, which is us.

Experienced players, and even newer players, find ways to keep themselves entertained and take a break from the grind culture that has kind of plagued GTA Online.

Players organise car meets, Easter egg hunts, motorcycle clubs, and (in-game) crime organisations. Why? Because it’s so much fun to plug your mic in and share your car enthusiasm with others, or form an organisation to maximise power and cash flow.

Other players went even farther than that and created GTA RP (which stands for Grand Theft Auto Roleplay), a modded version of GTA Online where instead of chaos, everyone in the city has a job and a role in the community. Some are cops, others are clerks, and everybody tries not to break character for maximum realism.

By the way, I highly recommend you try out the fun mode. 

3. Thrilling heists and missions

Grand Theft Auto Online brought so many players together with its heists update. 

A good reason why Grand Theft Auto Online is popular is how missions are structured, and ever since the Heists DLC came out, everybody was playing GTA Online.

Rockstar surely knows how to give players a good adrenaline rush with missions and heists. Since they’re mostly team-based, a lot of coordination and focus are required to get through safely (just like in real life, duh), so many players found themselves addicted to mastering these heists and missions and replaying them with their friends.

Heists have a storyline, whereas missions have a short briefing from the contact who tasked you.

The heists currently available in GTA Online are:

• The Fleeca Job
• The Prison Break
• The Humane Labs raid
• Series A Funding
• The Pacific Standard
• The Doomsday Heist
• The Diamond Casino Heist
• The Cayo Perico Heist

Eight well-designed heists were all GTA Online needed to become the perfect crime open-world game. They’re the reason why so many people have played, are playing, and will play GTA Online.

2. Can be enjoyed solo or with friends

Have you ever blown up your friend’s car just to realise you’re the one who has to pay for its insurance? No?

Socialising in GTA Online was carefully planned from A to Z; you can text people through the in-game phone, call them, voice-chat, text; it’s never been easier to get in touch with the guy parked next to you.

This allows players to start friendships and communicate, especially during heists, which brings us to point 9: Are you a lone wolf or crew member in GTA Online?

GTAO, while enjoyable solo, is better enjoyed with friends. You get to mess around and throw parties in your apartment or yacht; you also get to show off your ill-gotten gains to your friends and compare vehicles and money-making strategies.

Solo is also fun, and depending on how you play GTA Online, you may not even need to make friends at all! That’s how diverse this game’s world is.

1. Feels like a second life

A beautiful view from your CEO office covered with money from questionable sources.

Last but certainly not least, the true reason why millions love Grand Theft Auto Online is that it feels like a second life.

GTA Online isn’t just an open-world crime-focused game; it actually opens the door for future open-world games to simulate real life. Why would anyone simulate chaos, you may ask? It’s not the chaos they want to experience; it’s the riches and freedom.

Think about it: why does a game make billions in sales while there are amazing games out there that barely make their investment back? It’s because that game cracked the code! Rockstar knows the players want a modified-but-close-enough copy of our modern world. They know you want to drive a supercar, ride a jet ski, own a yacht, and skydive, so they make it happen.

GTA Online gives players a sense of achievement after long grinding; it feels like a real job, and while that’s negative for people’s lives, it actually brings them some sort of peace and satisfaction knowing that they’re making progress in their lives, even if it’s a character from a game.

That’s why players keep returning to GTA Online—they're trying to make their (non-violent) dreams come true.

We’ve reached the end of our list, 10 reasons why Grand Theft Auto Online is popular, what about you? Do you enjoy GTA Online? Let us know! 

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