Can you play gta online without playing gta v?

Grand Theft Auto Online is the online multiplayer component that is built into Grand Theft Auto V. The game releases a separate copy of Online but it is tightly integrated with the single‑player engine, requiring the GTA V license to launch, load assets, and authenticate your account. Without owning or installing GTA V, the Online client cannot start, and there is no independent installation that runs outside of the GTA V framework. Therefore, playing Grand Theft Auto Online without playing Grand Theft Auto V is not possible.