Rockstar Games released GTA Online in October 2013 as a Grand Theft Auto 5 multiplayer mode. Today, it’s one of the company’s most successful ventures, but a recent leak suggests it may have originally been a 2001 project. Design documents for some Grand Theft Auto titles were leaked online on December 25, 2024, and they reportedly mentioned plans for a multiplayer mode for Grand Theft Auto 3.
According to X user @videotechuk_, who is an active member of the GTA community on the platform, this canceled GTA Online 2001 project reportedly had plans to integrate features such as character customization, a skill system, as well as the ability to own real estate.
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Obbe Vermeij, former CTO at Rockstar North, also provided some insight into X after new GTA leaks on Christmas Day. He said the project had been in the works for several weeks and that Rockstar Vancouver (formerly Barking Dog Studios) had been contacted to investigate its design.
Note: Part of this article is based on leaked information. Readers are advised to take this information with a grain of salt.
A former Rockstar Games developer talks about the leaked GTA Online 2001 project
Obbe Vermeij revealed that he wrote a basic deathmatch implementation for Grand Theft Auto 3’s canceled multiplayer mode. He also revealed that players will be able to earn points by killing each other in it.
The tweet went on to say that Barking Dog Studios was asked to explore the design of Grand Theft Auto Online in 2001. Although this project was eventually abandoned, Barking Dog Studios would release Bully in 2006 as Rockstar Vancouver, a fan favorite of Rockstar Games. .
It’s worth noting that Obbe Vermeij talked about Grand Theft Auto 3’s canceled multiplayer before recently Leaked GTA documents as.
In that tweet, Rockstar’s former CTO mentioned that while the basic gameplay of the planned Grand Theft Auto 3 multiplayer worked, “there was just too much to do” and it was ultimately canceled. He then stated that they tried to work on multiplayer for Grand Theft Auto Vice City after that, but failed again, and “settled for Coop mode” in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.
The franchise’s first true online multiplayer experience was introduced with 2008’s Grand Theft Auto 4, and was then greatly expanded upon in GTA 5 with its Online Multiplayer. In fact, it continues to receive fresh content to this day, the most recent example as of this writing being the Agent of Sabotage update.
Also check: GTA Online Weekly Update Continues (December 26, 2024 – January 1, 2025)
Edited by Angad Sharma
