GTA 5 is dead, long live GTA Online

When Rockstar announced Freemode Events earlier this month for GTA Online it was received with praise from the community. At last, live events that don’t require waiting in lobbies or staring at loading screens for minutes at a time. Anyone who’s played a significant amount of GTA Online will understand the pain of suffering Rockstar’s technical limits.

In theory we can now load into a session and take part in challenges and objectives, teaming up or going full rampage to come out on top of the bloody heap. The reality isn’t quite as smooth, but it’s certainly an improvement and an attempt by Rockstar to fix its long-running problems.

But behind the goodwill shield of a new update came confirmation of three changes to the Grand Theft Auto series that drew a line under its past and set a precident for the future...