Rockstar Considered Multiplayer Long Before GTA 5, Says Former Dev

While GTA Online is now a massive revenue generator for Rockstar, earning the company millions each year, the idea of bringing multiplayer to the Grand Theft Auto universe dates back much further than most players realize.

Former technical director for the series, Obbe Vermeij, revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that multiplayer was already being considered as early as 2001, during the development of GTA 3. According to Vermeij, both the New York office and Rockstar North were eager to explore online functionality.

“I prototyped a simple deathmatch. Players could kill each other, pull people out of cars, and respawn throughout the city. It looked promising, but we couldn’t hit the deadlines. We lacked a lobby, networking scripts, and other essentials—so it all had to be scrapped.”

Vice City and San Andreas Also Fell Short

Rockstar made another attempt during the development of Vice City, going so far as to hire dedicated network programmers. Unfortunately, the pressure of tight schedules once again forced them to shelve the idea.

By the time San Andreas entered production, the studio didn’t even try. According to Vermeij, they simply didn’t have the time or manpower to even consider adding online features.

Multiplayer Finally Arrived in GTA 4

It wasn’t until the launch of GTA 4 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 that Rockstar finally introduced multiplayer to the franchise. Although the mode was relatively limited in scope, it marked a significant milestone for the series.

Vermeij credited a small, dedicated team—including four full-time programmers and several level designers—for making it possible. Their efforts laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the global success of GTA Online.