GTA 5 has been out since 2013, and there are still two massive unanswered questions surrounding the game: What the fuck is going on with Mt. Chiliad, and where’s that damn single player DLC?
Many believe that the lack of any substantial story content is related to the almost embarrassing success of GTA Online, a side game which has raked in over half a billion dollars and currently has the attention of a great number of Rockstar staff as they continue to provide updates.
Perhaps many of us have begun to question our sanity. Were we ever really promised story DLC for GTA 5, or did we just assume it’d happen like the spoiled capitalist pigs we are?
The answer lies within a Rockstar blog post from way back in December 2013, which insists players can look forward to ‘substantial additions’ to the game’s story mode.
Here’s the exact wording, so there’s no confusion:
For those ready to jump back into the story of Grand Theft Auto V, we have big plans for substantial additions in 2014 continuing Michael, Franklin and Trevor’s action, mayhem and unexpected adventures in Southern San Andreas.
I hate to point out the obvious, but 2014 left the building a fair while ago and we’ve still nothing as far as further San Andreas romps are concerned.
There’s more evidence, too. Franklin voice actor Shawn Fonteno told YouTube channel Jack Thriller in 2014:
We’re working on the DLC, downloadable content, for Grand Theft Auto 5, and that’s real big. That’s like, first on my list right now, to finish that up.
In June 2015, Fonteno shared a picture of himself on Instagram teasing something GTA related, and then again in January 2016.
Unfortunately, Fonteno’s co-stars don’t seem to have any clue about single player DLC – either that, or they know how to keep a secret and they’re desperately trying to cover up Fonteno’s repeated faux pas.
Actor Ned Luke (he played Michael De Santa), wrote on Facebook in January:
EVERYBODY wants single player DLC… I know NOTHING about that. Don’t know when it’s gonna happen or even IF it’s gonna happen.
One of the likeliest possibilities is that single player DLC was in development at some point, but Rockstar simply dropped it for one reason or another. Again, I would point to GTA Online as the culprit.
Imran Sarwar – Director of Design at Rockstar North – told IGN in September 2015:
Right now our focus is on GTA Online which has exceeded our expectations. We currently have all key members of the team that launched Grand Theft Auto 5 focused on supporting GTA Online in every capacity.
The only thing any of us can be sure of is that we don’t know anything for certain – is that helpful? No. No it isn’t, but it’s the best we’ve got, dammit.
The conclusion I’ve reached (and this is obviously speculation) is that GTA 5 story DLC is out there somewhere, probably unfinished, while Rockstar waits for the right moment to pick it back up and get it done.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.