GTA Online Player Cuts Long Load Times By 70%

A modder has figured out how to significantly reduce the notoriously long loading times for GTA Online on PC. While the method is still just a proof of concept, it does seem to lead to a sizable improvement, which the modder says Rockstar could implement itself. A word of caution, though--using mods in GTA Online could get you banned.

PC Gamer reports that modder tostercx uploaded their fix to GitHub and explained why it works. Essentially, they say, the normal load sequence for GTA runs a new check every time it finds an entry in the 10MB JSON file, leading to almost 2 billion checks. This mod optimizes those processes, which reduced the load times on their own computer by roughly 70%.

Tostercx doesn't recommend this mod for casual use, but says it should be possible for Rockstar to implement similar fixes in the actual game. Like many mods, using it could result in a ban or other action from Rockstar. Load times in GTA Online have been a consistent community complaint for years.

GTA V and especially its online component, GTA Online, has ballooned in scope over the last several years, as Rockstar has built on the foundation with a steady stream of new vehicles, mission types, heists, and more. The original game was built for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, so when it hits Xbox Series X and PS5 later this year it will have crossed two entire generations. It's also planned to get a standalone release, like Red Dead Online's. And its momentum hasn't slowed, still frequently appearing in the NPD monthly sales figures and recently having crossed 140 million copies in lifetime sales.