GTA V Online release date October 1: What to expect - microtransactions, bugs, free content updates

Grand Theft Auto V creator Rockstar Games has confirmed that the game's online multiplayer mode will support microtransactions.

Players will have an option to purchase GTA dosh through the game but the creators said they expect the majority of players to not purchase any in-game cash.

Rockstar Games stated: "There is no in-game paywall and nothing that should disrupt the balance of the game. You don't have to spend real money to attain the cars, guns, clothes, flash, and style of a high-roller in Los Santos, but can if you wish to get them a little quicker.

GTA Online will launch October 1 but the creators have already warned that there will be bugs. "This sort of thing is inevitable in a massive open-world game and there'll surely be lots more unexpected oddities like this in the Online world next week. Rest assured we'll be monitoring and actively doing all we can to smooth such things out as they happen, but we need your help to find them, as well as your feedback to help fine tune all of the game's systems so everything is perfectly balanced."

GTA Online free content updates will be rolled up in the first few weeks after the launch next month.

Grand Theft Auto V released on September 17, 2013 around the world and surpassed the $800 million figure on its launch date. They reached $1 billion in sales within three days of the launch. The latest sales figure does not include sales in Japan and Brazil, as the game has not yet been released in those countries.

The lucrative game reportedly cost a whopping $265 million to create, but Rockstar clearly earned nearly four times its investment.

Despite its powerful sales, gamers around the world are still holding off on purchasing the game, as they anticipate the game's PS4 and Xbox One and even PC editions to release soon.

Both Sony and Microsoft have unveiled their next-generation consoles this year, with the Xbox One release date set for November 22 and PS4 on November 15.

Games creator Rockstar recently said they have no immediate plans in place to support the game for PS4 and Xbox One consoles.

GTA V co-writer Dan Houser told The Guardian: "Of course we're interested. But no, not in terms of GTA, because we're always working on the current game. We look at the tech at a more practical level: what will be ready for which game that we're working on further down the line. We don't have another GTA in development, we don't work on three of these games at a time. That would be phenomenally depressing. So, in terms of GTA, no. We get pitched by the hardware manufacturers on what they're planning to do and our tech guys come up with ideas on how that could be used. Does this influence design decisions? Of course. But we're not sat there fantasizing about 10 years down the line. We're so busy with what we're doing right now."

The violent nature of the Grand Theft Auto gaming series has been widely criticized and is the most controversial video game series in history. The game has been accused of glamorizing violence, corrupting gamers, and has been connected to a number of real life crimes that stem from the violent nature of the game.