Technology
GTA Online shutting down FOREVER on some consoles – is yours affected?
GRAND Theft Auto developer Rockstar has announced that it is shutting down the game’s popular multiplayer mode on some consoles.
GTA Online, which is played by more than 100,000 people globally, will cease to exist on Xbox 360 and PS3 from December 16.
Rockstar is shutting down GTA Online on the Xbox 360 and PS3[/caption]
The move will bring an end to the multiplayer mode as well as website stat tracking via the Rockstar Games Social Club, Rockstar said.
The US company will continue to run the service on Xbox One and PS4, where it’s still going strong nearly eight years on from the launch of GTA 5.
“Please note, these changes are strictly for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of GTA Online,” Rockstar said in a statement on Wednesday.
The shutdown “will have no impact on access to, or progress within, the Grand Theft Auto V Story Mode”, the New York-based firm added.
The move will bring an end to the multiplayer mode as well as website stat tracking[/caption]
Rockstar said it is now focussing its efforts on expanded and enhanced versions of GTA 5 and GTA Online on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
GTA 5 hit shelves in 2013 and by the end of this year will have spanned three generations of console.
More than 140 million people have played GTA 5 on PlayStation 4 alone, according to data analytics firm GamStat.
It’s thought that around 130,000 people login to GTA Online every month across consoles and PC.
Rockstar is likely shutting down the service on the 360 and PS3, which came out in 2005, as player numbers dwindle on the older-generation consoles.
Gaming tips and tricks
Looking for tips and tricks across your favourite consoles and games? We have you covered…
- Can you play PS4 games on PS5?
- PS5 vs Xbox Series X – which is better?
- Everything you need to know about Roblox
- Most popular Roblox games
- Best video games for 2021
- How to tame a boar in Fortnite
- Top 100 rated players in FIFA 21
- Best FM21 wonderkids
- How many people play Fortnite?
- Full weapon tier list from Valheim
Binning GTA Online on older platforms will free up server space that the company can then use for its various other multiplayer games.
Rockstar also announced that it is shutting down online services for two additional blockbuster games.
Services for 2011’s L.A. Noire and 2012’s Max Payne 3 will get the chop in September on both the 360 and PS3.
“All these changes will have no impact on access or progress in Story Mode for any of these titles on either platform,” Rockstar said.
“We’d like to thank the GTA Online community for their continued support, and look forward to seeing players continue their journey in Los Santos with us on new platforms.”
Most read in Gaming
In other news, we revealed the best games available in 2021 for PS5, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch.
A remastered version of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2’s Multiplayer mode could be coming out this year.
And, Dell’s Alienware R10 Ryzen Edition is a gaming PC powerhouse that crushes both the new consoles.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk
