Grand Theft Auto 5 may be the best-selling game of all time, but the open-world shooter’s Online mode is arguably the most popular part of the experience. While fans have been enjoying the numerous online add-ons and expansions that each new month brings, some may be wondering why the main story campaign has been given the cold shoulder. A recent interview suggests that Rockstar Games’ upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2 may be to blame for the lack of GTA 5 story DLC.

Speaking with Game Informer, Rockstar’s director of design Imran Sarwar revealed that many factors contributed to the absence of story expansions. Sarwar explained that while Rockstar loves single-player “more than anything,” the base game was already “absolutely massive and very, very complete. It was three games in one.” Another reason was the sheer size of the next-gen title, which took “a year of everyone’s time to get right.” The expansive multiplayer component was also said to have “sucked up a lot of resources.”

“Other games” were also said to have played a role in missing GTA 5 story DLC, with Red Dead Redemption 2 being called out specifically. The western-themed title is expected to have a pretty sizable story campaign, and a multiplayer component as well.

Sarwar adds that the work that goes into implementing all these features requires a majority of the team’s resources, leaving little room for supplemental DLC. “At Rockstar, we will always have bandwidth issues because we are perfectionists and to make huge complex games takes a lot of time and resources,” says the developer.

This focused effort is to continue even longer than expected, with Red Dead Redemption 2 being delayed until 2018. This news doesn’t mean Rockstar has shut the door on making story DLC altogether. Sarwar admits that while they did not feel “single-player expansions were either possible or necessary” in the past, “future projects” are still very much a possibility.

This is good news for fans that want more out of Rockstar’s projects, and even better for those concerned with the current gaming climate. The recent influx of multiplayer-focused titles has called into question the future of linear and story-based offerings. We can at least look to developers like Rockstar to provide the single-player goods for the time being. Red Dead Redemption 2 is scheduled hit PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in spring 2018.

What do you think? Should there have been any GTA 5 Story DLC, or should all focus stay on making Red Dead Redemption 2? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more on the topic of single-player campaigns, check out these next few news stories:

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