GTA Online is about to become unplayable for millions of gamers

Grand Theft Auto Online could become unplayable next year for millions of gamers, namely for some of those that use PC.

It’s been a busy ol’ month for Rockstar Games - and yet it hasn’t at the very same time. Grand Theft Auto fans were convinced that a GTA VI reveal would land last week. It all began when one insider claimed that a reveal trailer would be released on 26 October. That claim did then seem suspicious when Rockstar uploaded a private video to their website, but 26 October has come and gone and we remain without a trailer. The ebbing flow of hype has had an effect on Rockstar Games’ stock levels, with many now assuming that a reveal won’t come until next year. In the meantime though, some important news has surfaced for PC players of GTA Online.

Take a look at this incredible Vice City remaster mod, the rumoured setting of GTA VI.

As reported by ComicBook, GTA Online will soon stop supporting certain versions of Microsoft Windows as soon as next year. The change will come into effect on 30 January 2024, at which point users of Windows 7 and 8 will no longer be able to enjoy GTA Online - unless, of course, you upgrade your operating system.

I’m imagining that this won’t be an issue for many of you, but it’ll certainly affect a sizable chunk of the playerbase. As ComicBook reports, in 2021, over 100,000,000 PCs were still using Windows 7. There are no figures available for 2022 or 2023. The number will likely have fallen since 2021, but it’s incredibly likely there are still millions of Windows 7 users - with many more using Windows 8.

Announcing the news, Rockstar said, “In light of Microsoft's end of support for Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems, Rockstar Games will no longer officially support these operating systems beginning January 30, 2024. To prevent any future interruptions of service and ensure continued access to the latest platform features, we recommend Windows 7 and 8 users upgrade to a supported operating system as soon as possible."