Update: Problems launching GTA Online?

The Grand Theft Auto V online multiplayer mode gameplay will release today, October 1, 2013.

The Grand Theft Auto Online multiplayer component will be available to download online for free. Rockstar has announced that GTA Online will go live at about 7 a.m. ET today.

Here's what Rockstar Games just posted on its blog:

Access to GTA Online

• Access to Grand Theft Auto Online is free with your copy of Grand Theft Auto V. On October 1st there will be a small downloadable Title Update released on PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE. Upon installation of that Title Update, direct access to begin GTA Online will be unlocked in your GTAV game menu. You will be able to jump right into GTA Online via the 4th (bottom) slot in your GTAV character wheel. We've received many questions asking for a specific confirmation of what exact time GTA Online will be available but of course this is contingent on both Title Updates becoming available on each console's network. As a general timeframe, we do expect the Title Update to become available on PSN and Xbox LIVE starting around 7AM ET tomorrow morning, and your best bet is to stay tuned throughout the day here at the Rockstar Newswire and by following us on Twitter and Facebook where we will be keeping everyone updated.

When does GTA Online Take Place?

Some people who've been playing through Grand Theft Auto V's Story Mode have been inquiring how the narrative of GTA Online correlates or crosses over. Grand Theft Auto Online is set a few months prior to the events of Grand Theft Auto V's single player story.

Grand Theft Auto V players will first need to download a small patch for GTA V prior to accessing GTA Online, the company announced today. Once the patch is downloaded and installed, players will be able to access GTA Online via the Grand Theft Auto V game menu immediately. Rockstar expects the update to be live around 7 A.M. ET tomorrow morning – though it depends on when the patch is available on Xbox Live and PSN.

In addition to revealing the expected hour of launch for GTA Online, Rockstar has also detailed a number of features found in the online game mode and when the game takes place.

Read more on the Rockstar Games blog here.

Vice president of Rockstar Dan Houser recently explained why the online multiplayer didn't launch together with the GTA V on September 17. He said that due to technical limitations, it was more practical for the development team to work on one project at a time.

According to VG247, Houser also said launching the Grand Theft Online a few weeks after the original Grand Theft Auto V would allow players to become more familiar with the game and single player experience. He said, "[y]ou can start multiplayer after two weeks and it will really give them a real focus on where to look at the thing. I think that separating it out will just help people look at it as different products in their own mind a bit more and really give it a good chance to try and play it and enjoy it."

GTA V cash will not transfer to GTA Online, but Rockstar has confirmed that the game's online multiplayer mode will support microtransactions.

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

The company has already warned of initial technical problems that may occur within the first few days of launch. Rockstar stated last week: "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."

Free content updates will also be rolled out for GTA Online in the first few weeks after the October 1 launch.

The Grand Theft Auto V main title surpassed the $800 million figure on its launch date, reaching a record-breaking $1 billion in sales within three days of the launch.

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. Latest rumors suggest that the GTA V PC version will be released on the same day as the Xbox One.

However, games creator Rockstar recently said they have no immediate plans in place to support the game for next-gen 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.