Rockstar Games released an official gameplay video for Grand Theft Auto Online today, and GTA fans are gonna like what they see and hear. Some of it will seem familiar from July’s Grand Theft Auto V gameplay trailer, which hinted about the online version, but this explains some of the features that will appear in the online edition.

In its posting today, Rockstar says, “In Grand Theft Auto Online, you’ll have the freedom to explore alone or with friends, work cooperatively to complete missions, band together to participate in activities and ambient events, or compete in traditional game modes with the entire community, all with the personality and refined mechanics of Grand Theft Auto V.”

Okay, then, but there’s more. Sure, you can do the stuff you’ll be able to do in GTA V — compete, wander around, play golf and tennis (!), rob liquor stores — MMO-style, but the world, which at first seems to be the same Southern California doppelganger as in GTA V, is expected to substantially expand over time. You’ll also be able to spend “petty cash” to do things like buy a penthouse apartment, where you’ll be able to turn on the TV and watch your friends’ exploits in real time. You can design your own races and share them, or try out others’ creations. According to Gamespot, there’s still more, including little things like the ability to hire a hitman to off your partner after he (or she) stiffs you out of the money you both stole from a convenience store, elaborate team missions like stealing — and landing — a cargo plane, a stock market option (invest in car company, go around destroying cars, investment rises), a reputation point system that lets you meet more characters (and call on them for favors) as your reputation grows… there’s plenty to do. You’ll be dropped into a 16-player world, matched with people of compatible skills or friends, and you can wander and explore or take part in missions or rob some more stores and be as destructive as you wanna be.

But you won’t be doing that when Grand Theft Auto V hits retail on September 17th, because you’ll have to wait a couple of weeks. The online game launches October 1st, and access will be included with all retail copies of Grand Theft Auto V. Are you excited to take the GTA online plunge? Hey, before you answer, CVG took a trip to Rockstar North to find out more, and put together a preview of nearly an hour, audio with some stills. Take a listen to find out more: