A hot potato: The rise of multiplayer and live service games over the last decade has been astounding. Few companies can testify to this quite similar Take-Two Interactive, parent of Rockstar Games and 2K Games, though its CEO says that when it comes to single-thespian experiences, claims of their death have been greatly exaggerated.

Speaking during a recent earnings call (via Gamespot), Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick said: "The folks at Rockstar Games intended to create a powerful single-player feel a story-driven experience. And Rockstar has always been known for bang-up stories and groovy single-player experiences and then developed in addition, a massive multiplayer opportunity over the past years."

G Theft Machine 5 has moved 140 1000000 copies, making it the second acknowledged game of all time behind Minecraft. With "expanded and enhanced" versions coming to the PS5 and Xbox Series Ten/Due south, the game's commercial success will extend into a third console generation—it arrived on the PlayStation iii and Xbox 360 in September 2022, just before the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One, both of which didn't run into versions of the game until November 2022.

Both GTA V and Rockstar'southward other flagship, Cerise Dead Redemption 2, saw record player numbers final yr, despite neither of them ever receiving any unmarried-player DLC. And it'south all thanks to their multiplayer elements.

"I recollect it'south a reminder, not that we needed one, that Rockstar Games can practice both of those things [multiplayer and unmarried-thespian] at the highest possible level of execution in our concern," Zelnick said.

Notice a recurring theme?

Steam'southward bestsellers list is populated with multiplayer or multiplayer-focused titles, including Valheim at number ane, Rust in second, RDR2, Raft, and Sea of Thieves. Information technology's led to renewed calls that single-player gaming is dead, replaced by multiplayer titles and live services that are a abiding source of income for the companies behind them; it's an argument that's been around as long every bit "PC gaming is dead." Y'all might imagine Zelnick would agree, but he'south in the other camp.

"There was an argument just a couple of years agone […] in some of our competitors' offices, that single-player is expressionless, that it'southward all nearly multiplayer," he said. "Nosotros didn't believe that. I said specifically and publicly that nosotros didn't believe that—our labels don't believe that."

Sadly, with Rockstar focusing on their multiplayer elements and the PS5/XBSX versions, nosotros're unlikely to ever see any single-thespian DLC for GTA V and Ruby-red Dead Redemption ii. Permit's hope GTA VI doesn't take too long to make it.

Practise yous call up the industry is heading more towards multiplayer and live service games, leaving single-histrion-just titles in deficient supply, or will there ever exist a market for solo experiences?