Cayo Perico was introduced to GTA Online in December 2020. It was GTA's first ever full standalone-island expansion. Here are the lessons we learned from it.

What it was

A completely separate island accessed via helicopter or boat from Los Santos. Features its own heist and additional side missions. Greatly increased the size of the playable area without having to remake the base map.

Important because of how it was engineered: paid-expansion-style content delivered through the live service.

What it suggests for GTA 6

Standalone-island expansions are pretty much part of Rockstar's playbook now. GTA 6 will likely launch with a base map and continue to release expansions and add-ons - brand new islands, districts, regions.

Timing and frequency are unconfirmed. Following Cayo Perico's pattern is one possibility.