A former developer working on the now-axed Trevor DLC for GTA 5 has spoken out about what he believes went wrong with its cancellation, stating it's a shame that the content never saw public release. Plenty of fans have wondered about the fate of a single-player DLC that would bring back fan favorite character Trevor Phillips, an idea we've heard thrown around before just less than fifty times. It made it sound as if GTA Online's unbelievable success pulled resources away single-player expansions at Rockstar.
During an appearance on the YouTube channel SanInPlay, former Rockstar senior camera artist and virtual cinematographer Joseph Rubino shared insight into how its development came together and was ultimately cancelled.
When it came to the Trevor DLC, Rubino said: "That was sort of my tune. I was in fact an associate-editor (among some other duties) often on camera, and shot a great deal of the second unit work on stage.
"We split our crews, so I stayed with GTA Online and that expansion we were working on. Steve Ogg was a big part of it," Benzies said in the interview -- referring to actor Steven Ogg who played his game's version of Trevor Phillips - "but also some people went off to work [on] Red Dead early."
Rubino explained that this DLC was supposed to delve into Trevor's past, from small-time crook to crazy person you know and love. The story was planned to be about his complicated relationships and showcase gameplay elements centered around new mechanics that focused on Trevor's chaotic nature.
His actor Steven Ogg said earlier this year that he had "shot some stuff" for single-player DLC, in which Trevor Philips would have served the FBI as an undercover agent. The story contains the testing of Barati's spirit, a more human side to Trevor as he straddles his erratic nature with going under cover and milage on developing characters.
Rubino noted that Rockstar pumped a lot of resources into the game before it was canned (some elements of what was produced ended up getting turned into GTA Online updates), A racist cartoon We had built an entirely new region of the map, with new missions and characters we hadn't been able to include in this specific DLC.
"When GTA Online launched, it became such a cash cow and was so popular that it was challenging to justify a standalone DLC," Rubino continued. "Looking back, I think both could have been pursued, but it was a business decision. I was a bit upset because I felt the project was awesome and worth finishing, but it was shelved."
Development of the Trevor DLC was about halfway complete before being paused to focus on the booming success of GTA Online. "We had a lot of innovative content that I wish players could have experienced. There were unique heists and a storyline that really brought out a different side of Trevor."
Rockstar has never detailed its plans for GTA 5 single-player DLC since initially announcing "very exciting" story content over a decade ago. In 2015, Rockstar North design director Imran Sarwar confirmed the shift in focus: "Right now, our focus is on GTA Online, which has exceeded our expectations. We have all key team members who launched Grand Theft Auto 5 supporting GTA Online in every capacity."
Currently, Rockstar's attention is on the upcoming GTA 6, slated for release in autumn 2025. The new game promises to push the boundaries of open-world gameplay even further, with rumors of a massive, evolving map and a dynamic weather system.