October 2013General source · 2 sourcesWell documented
GTA Online: The Money Machine
On the timeline · around October 2013 ·
What happened
Weeks after GTA V's launch, Rockstar released GTA Online, a persistent multiplayer world funded by in-game purchases. It kept players — and revenue — flowing for over a decade, long after the single-player game shipped.
Why it matters
GTA Online turned a one-time blockbuster into a perpetual earner, helping GTA V generate billions and reshaping how the industry monetizes games.