Rumor has it that Grand Theft Auto IV – which was originally set for release yesterday, if you remember correctly – will be sporting some online multiplayer, with support for up to 16 players. This comes way of a PlayStation Holiday Preview Event which was recently held in Toronto. An individual from GamingExcellence was in attendance, and while GTA IV wasn’t being shown off, a Rockstar representative was feeling rather chatty.

In addition to playing around with the idea of a game world that’s completely open from the start (unheard of in a GTA game), Rockstar is aiming to have a multiplayer component for at least 16 players simultaneously – and the mode won’t simply be comprised of a standard deathmatch.

This is exciting news, and while Rockstar is refusing to comment on the rumor, we’ve certainly got our fingers crossed that it turns out to be true.