GTA 6 on Xbox Series X and PS5 needs to include 1 crucial PC feature
Give GTA console players mods.
Grand Theft Auto VI needs robust mod support. Full stop.
Ever since the series' earliest days on PC, fan-created mods for Grand Theft Auto games have kept each iteration interesting for years after the initial release date. Causing mayhem around Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto 4 was fun, but it was even more fun when you were able to do it as Iron Man in the middle of a zombie apocalypse (yes, those mods exist).
The mod scene for the GTA community is vast and passionate, but Rockstar didn't do much to encourage it with GTA V, likely because of the focus on Grand Theft Auto Online. Rockstar has an opportunity to bring more focus to mods in a big way with GTA 6, and functionality exists to even let console players access them on next-gen, specifically the Xbox Series X and possibly PS5.
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This GTA 5 mod essentially gives the game next-gen graphics.
Mods are fan-made content that allows people to modify and alter a game's contents and allow players to put things not played by the developers in the games. While mods can be just a simple as bug fixes for a broken game, some modders also use them to create hilarious content that would never be allowed legally. That's how we got things like Thomas the Tank Engine in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or Iron Man in a GTA game.
While Rockstar doesn't do much to support the modding community, that definitely doesn't mean it is dead. Tons of fantastic mods and funny videos have still come from players who modify the game to cause pure chaos. With GTA 6, Rockstar would take a note out of Bethesda's book and encourage mods across all platforms.
Rockstar's games are known for their extremely high production value, interesting stories, and huge sandbox worlds that players can mess around in. In previous GTA games, cheat codes already allow players to mess with the game, giving them access to every weapon, invincibility, a five-star police rating, and more. Mods would only serve as an extension of that. Rockstar could handpick mods to support on console, and interested players could have fun with them in the game's single-play modes.
One mod out there lets you fly an X-wing from Star Wars.
With Fallout 4, Bethesda actively encouraged the modding community. They even made attempts to bring mods that weren't going to cause any legal problems to consoles like Xbox One so those players could get a taste of these community creations. Of course, this raises questions of if Rockstar should market or sell the mods. Something like Bethesda Creation Club could work well with Grand Theft Auto 6 if implemented well.
Regardless of the legal aspects of modding that would need to get worked out, it's time that console players get a chance to embrace this vibrant community on PC. While Rockstar would have to be the middleman in this process, it would only bolster and strengthen the community. Especially if GTA Online because its own separate product and GTA 6 is a standalone single-player game, then it would be smart for Rockstar to give players as many tools as possible to mess around in the game's sandbox.
Grand Theft Auto 6 is reportedly in development.
