Rockstar may be emphasizing GTA Online as a 'separate entity' from GTA V, but there are no plans to sell it as one.
GTA Online - the online portion of GTA V - will be released on October 1, two weeks after GTA V's September 17 debut. This, Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies told CVG in an exclusive interview, was to position the multiplayer offering as "a different entity, a separate thing".
But, unlike with games such as Metal Gear Online and Uncharted 3's multiplayer, Rockstar has no current intention of offering GTA Online separate from GTA V.
"We don't have any plans to sell GTA Online separately," a Rockstar rep told Polygon.
"It will come free with every copy of GTA V and doesn't require a code, online pass, or anything like that," they added.
GTA Online will be accessible through a fourth character on GTA 5's character Switch Wheel, which will become available after two weeks.
For more details. read the full Grand Theft Auto Online interview. For our impressions of the online game, read our GTA Online first look preview.
Rockstar has confirmed a US and European GTA 5 release date of September 17 on Xbox 360 and PS3. The game will launch in Japan on October 10.