GTA RP gets a massive upgrade next week, as FiveM Enhanced sets early access launch date

When it comes to Grand Theft Auto 5's online mode, GTA RP is still the biggest game in town, and it's about to get a significant overhaul. Modding studio FiveM, which is now Rockstar's in-house team for all things relating to custom GTA multiplayer games, has confirmed that its support for GTA 5 Enhanced will now launch into early access on July 21. The new edition is much more than basic compatibility however, as the team has been working to "rebuild many core components of the platform" to provide the best experience possible.

FiveM became part of Rockstar Games back in August 2023, making it the official way to get your GTA roleplay on. Since tracking site SteamDB started monitoring its traffic separately, it's consistently ranked above both the Legacy and Enhanced versions of GTA 5 (its 24-hour peak sits at 170,000, compared to 90,000 for Legacy and 120,000 for Enhanced). You've probably already encountered GTA RP in some form, especially if you're reading this, but just in case, it's where players join giant MMORPG-style servers that enforce rules designed around letting you play a character in their world.

You can take on a regular job, join the player-run police force to stamp out troublemakers, and potentially act out all manner of improvised storylines. There are a multitude of GTA RP servers to suit your tastes, whether you want a primarily action-focused experience, something more narrative-driven, or simply a sandbox to spend your days in. Naturally, bringing FiveM support across to GTA 5 Enhanced edition with all its graphical bells and whistles has been a much-requested move, and the team behind it has sprinkled plenty more on top.

To start with, FiveM Enhanced will introduce an overhauled "network synchronization engine." That means more stable performance with less CPU usage "and potentially higher framerates," and should also lower bandwidth and memory consumption demands for server owners, enabling higher player counts on comparable hardware. You can expect "improved reliability under poor network conditions," and server owners can increase the tick rate up to 120 for more precise hit detection and consistency, which will be extremely welcome in PvP.

The developer has also ensured backwards compatibility with custom scripts and servers using them, plus enhanced support for C# scripting, and has provided a converter to assist in bringing 3D assets over to the Enhanced version. There's a revamped VoIP system for voice chat, a new installer that makes managing your client simpler, and fresh developer tools that have been improved from FiveM's existing legacy set. Simply put, this should let GTA RP servers be bigger, better, and smoother than ever before - and this is just the start, with more to come as early access continues.

FiveM for GTA 5 Enhanced Edition releases into early access on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Because it will use a separate client launcher from GTA 5 legacy, you'll need to download the new version from the FiveM website, which will be made available on release day.

The developer adds: "As with any early access launch, we expect to continue identifying and resolving issues and look forward to working closely with the community to improve the platform. Thank you for your continued support."