Rockstar Just Killed One of Its Oldest Services Before GTA 6’s Release

Rockstar Games retired its Social Club platform after nearly 20 years.

This marks the end of an era just before GTA 6 launches. The Social Club launched with Grand Theft Auto IV and connected players in GTA Online, Red Dead Online, Max Payne 3, and other Rockstar games.

But by mid-July 2025, it became clear the platform was no longer active. Players who went to the old Social Club website were sent to Rockstar’s homepage, and most social features like player walls, media sharing, and profile lookups were removed.

Did Rockstar Hint at This Before?

Back in late 2023, Rockstar started slowly removing the Social Club brand from its services and websites, swapping out phrases like “Social Club member” in favor of “Rockstar Games account.”

Around the same time, features like video uploads and photo searches started disappearing without much fanfare. Even then, many believed it was simply backend maintenance or part of a rebranding effort.

Now, the full picture is clear: Rockstar has decided to sunset the Social Club as it prepares for a new chapter with Grand Theft Auto 6.

What Features Are Still Accessible?

Limited features remain, such as Crew pages and job listings on the GTA Online website, and basic game progress can be seen through Rockstar’s main page.

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However, access to in-depth profiles, screenshots, stats, and social feeds is gone. Many people in the community are upset not only because of the loss of features but also because Rockstar did not make an official announcement.

Fans only noticed the platform was being shut down because of redirects and missing features. Some thought it might just be a temporary glitch, but the ongoing redirects and simplified site wording prove otherwise.

Why Did Rockstar Shut Down the Social Club?

The timing works because with GTA 6 coming out in May 2026, Rockstar is removing old systems to focus on a modern online experience.

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The Social Club started out innovative but grew outdated over time, with years of reports about bugs, slow performance, and security issues like player IP leaks.

Since the gaming world is shifting to unified, cross-platform accounts and smoother multiplayer, Rockstar probably thinks it’s better to rebuild from scratch than keep the Social Club going.

We don’t yet know if Rockstar plans to create a fresh platform or fold social tools right into their new titles.

But one thing is clear: the Social Club, which used to be a key part of Rockstar’s multiplayer world, has now been officially retired right before the studio’s biggest launch yet.

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