By Zainab Shafiq 
Fans of GTA V have long speculated that single-player DLC was sidelined in favor of GTA Online. Now, former Rockstar employee Joe Rubino has confirmed those suspicions, revealing that a planned DLC centered on the character Trevor was scrapped. In a video interview with YouTuber SanInPlay, Rubino discussed the project’s cancellation and its implications.
Rubino, who contributed to both Max Payne 3 and GTA V, described the DLC as an “amazing project that never came out.” He explained his role in the development of GTA V’s DLC and shared that after the game’s initial release, Rockstar divided its teams between various projects. While many team members moved to work on Red Dead Redemption 2, Rubino remained focused on GTA Online and the standalone DLC project.
“The project involved Steven Ogg, the actor who played Trevor,” Rubino noted, emphasizing the high financial investment in the DLC. However, the immense success of GTA Online ultimately led to the DLC being shelved. “The original vision for the DLC wasn’t realized,” Rubino lamented, though he believes that some elements of the DLC made their way into GTA Online updates.
Despite his disappointment, Rubino understood the business decision behind the cancellation. “The success of GTA Online made justifying separate DLC difficult,” he explained, adding that he felt both projects could have co-existed. The interview also highlighted how some team members transitioned between the GTA V DLC and Red Dead Redemption 2 during the early stages of development.
Rubino’s revelations provide a deeper understanding of Rockstar’s internal decisions and the shifts that shaped the future of GTA V and its online counterpart.
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