Ethan Crossfield 
Multiplayer plans are often among the most closely guarded details surrounding a major game, especially when a studio is still focused on its single-player launch. Rockstar Games has revealed very little about GTA 6 Online, but documents filed during an ongoing legal dispute with former employees appear to reference a 32-player online format for a confidential project. The filing does not officially announce GTA 6 Online, yet it offers one of the clearest indications so far that Rockstar is developing a larger multiplayer component.
A court filing reveals a confidential player count
The information comes from legal documents submitted by Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive during a dispute over the dismissal of 34 developers. In its defense, Rockstar said some former employees had discussed confidential game features on a union-run Discord server. Among the details mentioned in the filing was an online format designed for 32 players. The documents do not explicitly identify GTA 6, and the reference could theoretically concern another project. However, the timing and the secrecy surrounding the feature make GTA 6 Online the most likely interpretation. Rockstar studio director Jennifer Kolbe reportedly described the disclosure of confidential online player information as especially alarming, coming only months after a major GTA 6 leak exposed character names and other design details.
The number would match GTA 5 Online's current scale
A 32-player structure would not represent a major increase over Grand Theft Auto 5 Online's existing session capacity. GTA 5 Online generally supports 30 players, with two additional spectator slots. That could disappoint fans hoping for significantly larger lobbies in the next game, particularly because online worlds have continued to expand in scale across the industry. At the same time, the filing may describe an earlier stage of development rather than the final design. Rockstar has not confirmed that 32 players will be the launch limit, and the company could have revised the format since the discussions referenced in court.
GTA 6 Online remains officially undisclosed
Rockstar and Take-Two have emphasized GTA 6 as a single-player game during its public marketing, while offering almost no details about what will follow after launch. That silence means the court filing should be treated as a clue, not a formal announcement. Rumors have suggested that GTA 6 Online could support 64-player lobbies, but those claims are less firmly supported than the 32-player reference in the legal documents. The ongoing dispute also adds uncertainty: the player-count detail was included to explain the seriousness of the alleged disclosure, not to promote or describe the multiplayer product to players.
Key points
- A Rockstar court filing references a confidential 32-player online format.
- The document does not directly confirm that the project is GTA 6 Online.
- The figure is close to GTA 5 Online's typical 30-player session limit.
- Rockstar has not officially announced GTA 6 Online's modes or final lobby size.
Expert View
This development signals that Rockstar may be building GTA 6 Online around a familiar session size rather than immediately pursuing massive lobbies. For the community, the more important takeaway is that multiplayer development appears to be substantial enough to generate confidential player-count discussions, even though the public-facing game remains focused on its single-player campaign. Until Rockstar shares its plans directly, the 32-player figure should be viewed as a development snapshot that could change before release.
