Is gta online a separate game from gta story modes?

Grand Theft Auto Online is an online multiplayer action-adventure game that serves as the online component of Grand Theft Auto V. While it features a separate open-world environment set within the same fictional state of San Andreas, it is not a standalone game. Players must own and launch Grand Theft Auto V to access GTA Online, which functions as an expansion that adds multiplayer functionality to the original single-player story modes. Released in 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with subsequent versions for other platforms, GTA Online operates as an ongoing service with regular updates, distinguishing it from the narrative-driven single-player campaigns of GTA V but maintaining its integration with the parent game. The multiplayer experience allows up to 30 players to interact in the same world, engage in cooperative or competitive modes, and customize their characters, all within the broader context of the GTA V universe.