It looks like Dr. Dre is making a return to Grand Theft Auto Online in the next major DLC, whenever that will launch sometime this holiday season. In an Instagram post, it was teased that the artist is recording music for GTA, and since we get a huge annual update at the end of the year, it is easy to assume that's when we'll see him return.
Dr. Dre, real name Andre Romelle Young, is a prolific figure in the music industry and has tangled with Rockstar Games before. Having a cameo appearance as himself in The Cayo Perico Heist, Dr. Dre already canonically inhabits the GTA universe, and is an associate of the player character in Online.
Striking a deal with such a big name is something few studios could afford or negotiate, but Rockstar is the big leagues. Even so, once you've got Dr. Dre on board, you might as well get as much out of the partnership as you can, right?
In an Instagram post from travel blogger "gwil34" with whom Dr. Dre met, it was revealed that the artist is currently working on new music "for Grand Theft Auto game in December", as it was put. We know that GTA 5: Expanded and Enhanced is coming in March 2022, and the projected release for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition is late October or sometime in November, so that leaves some DLC.
Of course, there is a possibility that The Definitive Edition is coming later in the year. Why would it require new music though? Easy — licenses. Grand Theft Auto games have gradually lost real songs from the in-game radio stations over the years as licensing deals between Rockstar and various music labels lapsed. In some cases they were replaced, but often it ended with removals.
The Definitive Edition is definitely going to be missing a lot of the songs that were initially available in GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas, so it is possible that Rockstar is tapping talent they have current partnerships with to fill up those radio stations. It's also possible that these remasters will only launch in December, since we still don't have a release date.
Taking all of this into account, our bet still lies with the big end of year GTA Online DLC. Dr Dre already appeared in major DLC for the multiplayer mode, and having an artist like him show up in the next big DLC would be a great popularity booster — not that GTA Online is in any desperate need for one of those.
As is usually the case with these situations, we'll just have to wait and see.
