GTA 5 Updates Now Focused on Leveraging Xbox One, PS4, and PC's Power

Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar North's full focus is on GTA V's multiplayer mode, GTA Online. There's currently no time table for when the mode's ongoing updates will cease, though Xbox 360 and PS3 may have seen the last of their major new features.

Rockstar today revealed the next update for GTA Online: The Freemode Events update adds new things for players to do without leaving the standard open-world. It also introduces the Rockstar Editor to Xbox One and PS4, a feature which, like the new freemode events themselves, will only be for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. Rockstar had warned players that last-gen systems might eventually be unable to continue receiving updates, and it seems we've now reached that point.

"The primary technical reason is the memory capacity for the older systems," design director Imran Sarwar told IGN. "We are constantly adding new items to the game with each update and we began approaching the memory limits after the first year of GTA Online content."

The big online heists update nearly maxed out what was possible, but Sarwar says "some creative programming" allowed for more, up through the second Ill Gotten Gains update. However, Rockstar is now at the point where it "can't make any more meaningful updates without putting the stability of the entire online game at risk."

Now that the newer consoles and PC are the baseline, Rockstar can set its sights higher. "[W]e are now focused on the opportunities provided by the more powerful PS4, Xbox One, and PC--and we've got some really fun ideas on how to make the most of these more powerful machines," Sarwar said.

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"Aside from simply allowing us to utilize more memory and pack additional assets into the game itself, the additional power will mean we can create more complex game types and deliver on some of the ideas we have that only these newer systems can allow. We are really excited for how GTA Online can continue to evolve as a platform with these new systems."

And they will continue to evolve for the foreseeable future, as Sarwar says Rockstar will keep delivering new content "as long as people continue to play and enjoy GTA Online." Rockstar says the game sees an average of 8 million players every week, and the company has invested its resources accordingly.

According to Sarwar, Rockstar North "currently [has] all key members of the team that launched Grand Theft Auto V focused on supporting GTA Online in every capacity." This could explain why we've still yet to hear about the expected story DLC.

GTA V's new update launches on September 15.