Honestly, if TS5 ends up being online, it will definitely have a ton of microtransactions. Want this shirt in green? Pay up. Want anything but this basic couch? Pay up. Want a second story to your house? Pay up. Want to build a basement? Pay up. That's what they'd do to us, because this is EA we're talking about. The only way they got called out on their randomized lootbox shenanigans is that they ticked off a very large, very mainstream fandom--Star Wars fans.
Sure, there will be a one-time, $60 price to be able to download the game and get its basic functionality, but they'll take a Fortnight/Fallout 76/Overwatch-inspired approach to the continued monetization of the game. There will be a ton of microtransactions, limited edition cash shop items, loot boxes, and they'll probably roll out some sort of season pass/subscription for special perks or automatic access to new DLC content on launch. It would be horrible, just from a consumer perspective...and then, there will be the community aspect.
We'd get a ton of griefers and trolls causing trouble and botters spamming messages about going to their site to buy in-game currency with real money. Awkward multi-player missions would be implemented to encourage (read: force) players to interact with each other and bring in that MMORPG scenario where you either have to be really outgoing and extroverted to enjoy the full experience, awkwardly search for a party (even though you'd really rather fight and explore as a lone adventurer), try to drag your IRL friends into the game, or sit certain content out because you have no IRL friends interested in the game and find it awkward to walk up and talk to total strangers in the real world, let alone the virtual one. A good chunk of the more introverted players would likely be turned off by this new gameplay model and not even bother with TS5; they'd attract a ton of extroverted people who would further make the game uncomfortable for the remaining introverts; and the griefers, trolls, and snob whales (big spenders who hold the fact that they possess all of the latest/best cash shop stuff over others as a status symbol and look down on and mistreat people who never or only occasionally use the cash shop) will drive away even more long-time fans. Ultimately, TS5, as an online game, would become a toxic sludge of griefers, trolls, botters, snob whales, and 10-year-old kids who swear they're 35 but have never heard of Avril Lavigne and all want to friend you just because they saw you and their friends list is empty.
In short, a fully online main entry would ruin the franchise. A few online features, like the gallery and a story blog community, wouldn't do any damage, though. But mulitplayer...nope. That will get very bad very fast, because EA will be more interested in making money and forcing everyone to be an extrovert than maintaining a harmonious and welcoming community for players.
