'GTA Online': Four years of transformation

A scene from the "Grand Theft Auto" online gunrunning trailer. YouTube/Rockstar Games

"Grand Theft Auto Online" has stayed relevant in the video gaming landscape even four years after its release.

The online title released by Rockstar Games continues to be a big hit and still appears in best-selling charts every month. The multiplayer component of "GTA Online" has become even more famous than the main game. Back in the day, "GTA Online" updates were still rooted in "Grand Theft Auto V's" aesthetic but it has now transformed into something wilder.

One of its most recent updates involves players stealing alien eggs from a spaceship that crashed into Earth. In its earlier existence, "GTA Online" updates consisted of adding a few vehicles, a couple of clothing items and some weapons. From then on, the updates have been small but also managed to give the game a new flavor every time.

As the years went by, Rockstar did something different; they stopped providing additional content for "GTA Online" for the gaming consoles Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. At that time, the decision was met with a lot of backlash from the fans.

Earlier this year, the video game developer left the past behind by removing the ability to transfer game characters from old consoles to new ones. It sparked a lot of negative comments, but it only allowed Rockstar to go wild and crazy with succeeding additional content.

The "GTA Online" of today has shed its former identity. The small changes in streamlining the experience is still there, but what fans are talking about are the crazy additions. The vehicles now have rocket boosters, parachutes and can jump. The motorcycles are capable of flight and players can even use the car from "Fast and Furious 6." The game feels a lot more fun and over-the-top than before.

To say that "GTA Online" practically underwent an overhaul is an understatement, but with all the ostentatious additions that the game has added, it only made fans more excited to see what's next for "GTA Online" and how long it can stay popular.

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