GTA 5's 'Kick A--' Story Canceled Due To Cash Cow Success Online, Says Former Dev

Former Take-Two Interactive Software Inc‘s TTWO Rockstar developer Joe Robino shed light on why a standalone Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA 5) story DLC never saw the light of day.

Speaking to the SanInPlay YouTube channel (via IGN), Robino disclosed that the unexpected success of GTA Online shifted Rockstar’s focus and resources. This ultimately lead to the cancellation of the highly anticipated DLC.

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Robino, a senior camera artist and virtual cinematographer at Rockstar’s New York office from 2010 to 2016, was deeply involved in the development of what he described as a “kick –” standalone DLC for GTA 5.

However, as GTA Online became a “cash cow” soon after its launch, Rockstar decided to reallocate its efforts towards expanding the online multiplayer mode.

“A lot of the team went to do Red Dead Redemption 2 right away and I took on this other project that was a standalone DLC for GTA that never came out and it was kick a–,” Robino revealed.

“That was my thing. I was one of the main editors, camera artists, and on-stage stuff. We split our teams into two. I stayed on GTA Online and then this DLC, which Steven Ogg [the actor who played Trevor Philips] was a very important part of.”

See Also: What To Expect For GTA Online’s June Update?

The Impact Of GTA Online’s Success

The overwhelming success of GTA Online, which has generated substantial revenue through microtransactions, made it difficult for Rockstar to justify investing in a single-player DLC.

Robino expressed his frustration, stating: “It was really really good. But when GTA Online came out it was so much of a cash cow and people were loving it so much that it was hard to make an argument that a standalone DLC would outcompete that. I think looking back now you could probably do both. But that was a business decision they made. I was a little upset about that.”

Steven Ogg, who played Trevor Philips in GTA 5, also provided insight into the scrapped DLC. "Trevor was going to be undercover, he was working with the feds," Ogg shared. "We did shoot some of that stuff with ‘James Bond Trevor,' where he's still kind of a f**k-up, but he's doing his best. Then it just disappeared and they never did it, they never followed up on it."

Repercussions And Future Prospects

Elements of the canceled DLC appear to have found their way into GTA Online. Dataminers have uncovered references to Trevor with a jetpack, a feature that eventually appeared in GTA Online’s Doomsday Heist missions. Robino mentioned, "a lot of that stuff though did end up making it I believe into later iterations of GTA Online."

Addressing Industry Challenges

In his interview, Robino also touched on the intense workload and secrecy surrounding Rockstar projects, particularly GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2.

"We got probably halfway through it [the GTA5 story DLC], and we put a pause on it," he said. "I was also doing GTA Online at that time, and I was also doing RDR2. We all were. We worked a lot, man. For six or seven years, I was working almost 365 days a year with our team."

Rockstar’s notorious crunch culture has been well-documented, but following the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in 2018 and subsequent media scrutiny, the company reportedly made efforts to improve its work environment.

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