Today, Rockstar Games released what could be one of the biggest improvements and updates Grand Theft Auto Online has seen in years. While it might not add something as big and flashy as a casino or a superyacht, the new Criminal Enterprises update expands on a huge list of old content, adds new quality-of-life changes, and even adds a new mission wild secret agent. line It also looks like Rockstar took a big step to ensure that GTA Online will stick around for at least a few more years.
Playing the newly patched GTA Online on my PS5, it’s almost hard to believe that Grand Theft Auto Online was released on Xbox 360 and PS3 all the way back in 2013. It’s easy to forget how old the game is, and it seems like this latest update to recognize that after nearly a decade of updates, Rockstar’s online MMO needed some love and attention to help it get going.
Criminal Enterprises is about a devastating heat wave that ravages Los Santos and the surrounding countryside. Also, rising gas prices are causing all kinds of panic and creating new criminal opportunities. And amidst the chaos are rumors of a conspiracy and the IAA (GTA’s version of the CIA) needs your help to stop whoever is behind the high prices and all the market manipulation.
Screenshot: Rockstar Games / Kotaku
Interestingly, the most exciting change might be the new ability for players to complete most business activities, including sales missions, within invite-only lobbies. With this change, Rockstar finally allows solo players who need to sell stolen goods, but also hate trolls or baddies, to escape annoying attacks that can wipe out hours of grinding. It looks like Rockstar is finally giving players what they’ve been wanting for a long time, even if it may make the game “easier” or less social.
In fact, this is a constant theme throughout this update: Rockstar giving players what they’ve been asking for after all these years. For example, starting today, you can run inside the casino and nightclubs. Small change, sure, but shit makes a difference. Being able to run to my nightclub office in seconds was amazing, as was being able to sprint to the big daily casino wheel. beautiful things
Another long-requested addition to this update is new outfits and haircuts for female characters. Still not enough, I think, but better than nothing. I’ve already seen players praising the new suit because it actually looks good after years of players sharing their displeasure at the lack of pretty options.
Rockstar has also finally added shortcuts for eating snacks and donning armor. Before, you would have to bind a few different submenus to access any of the items. This was tricky in a fight and always felt so cumbersome that I assumed Rockstar built it this way to discourage people from eating snacks or changing armor during combat. But now, just press a button with the weapon wheel open. I assumed this change would be big, but actually playing through the new missions with him was shocking. I can’t believe we’ve all spent almost a decade torturing ourselves with submenus.
Screenshot: Rockstar Games / Kotaku
As for the new quests, I haven’t finished them all yet, but I’ve enjoyed them as a nice distraction from all the business related content in the update. Most of this stuff is nice, with more ways to make money with old and new rackets. However, I don’t play GTA Online just for money, I play for fun, and these new IAA missions are a good mix of combat, stealth, story, and humor. Nothing really amazing, but easily some of the best contact quests in a while, and a great way to flesh out this already big update.
I hope some tougher, math-focused players will soon realize that new business options or missions aren’t really as efficient as running the same heist or payphone mission over and over again. And they will probably regret this update. Me instead? I’m excited to play more GTA Online as these changes help give me more things to do solo and more ways to earn money and have fun.
The update isn’t perfect as the new bolt action rifle is rubbish and the IAA missions could end up being too annoying for some players. But for now, it’s nice to see Rockstar go back and improve the content that already exists instead of just blindly adding more. If Rockstar plans to keep GTA Online around for a few more years, as I believe it will, I hope we get more updates like this that focus almost entirely on making the game more enjoyable to play while still delivering the content players have been asking for. since then 2013