Microtransactions Will Be Included In Grand Theft Auto Online

So it looks like the rumors surround Grand Theft Auto V and its online play were correct. Rockstar has issued a release on their company newswire confirming that you can spend real life cash to buy in-game cash for Grand Theft Auto Online. The money is non-transferable between online modes and the single player campaign.

“You will have the option to purchase GTA$ through the in-game Store,” Rockstar claims. “The game and its economy have been designed and balanced for the vast majority of players who will not buy extra cash. There is no in-game paywall and nothing that should disrupt the balance of the game. You don’t have to spend real money to attain the cars, guns, clothes, flash and style of a high-roller in Los Santos, but can if you wish to get them a little quicker.”

It appears that Rockstar Games are planning to use the popular free-to-play model with Grand Theft Auto Online, although there are some concerns. Is it possible to lose purchased money to other players? If you park a modded vehicle that you spent real life money on, can another player steal it and return it to their own garage? It does make sense to allow a non-mandatory pay model to fund an ever-growing online world (plus there is no online pass for the game), but there are still legitimate questions that need to be answered.

Grand Theft Auto Online will be available for owners of GTA 5 starting October 1st, with content-creation, heists, a beach bum pack and Capture the Flag mode updates to follow in the future.