The newest and latest Grand Theft Auto Online update has been introduced by Rockstar Games and the gamers’ responses are… to put it mildly, not particularly positive. So the company has formed a new ‘Prix Luxury Black Tier VIP’ program that goes until December 7, and during this period of time, the players would be able to get a free Übermacht Revolter sports car from the Luxury Autos showroom just by entering it. Just finish three New Listings missions, and you would be gold tier along with getting extra rewards when the ‘A Safehouse in the Hills’ update is released. Yet, going through the replies is like watching a community therapy session where all the participants are simultaneously crying out for GTA 6.
Right from the start, Rockstar’s original Thanksgiving post transformed into a battlefield. Well-known user Tonpere06641379 said it succinctly and without any additional explanation: ‘Sorry but we don’t care. WE WANT GTA 6!!!’ The same sentiment is everywhere. Another user, PhillyDab, just wrote ‘I’m tired boss,’ which truly captures the feeling of the whole GTA Online player base after a decade with the same game. And MikeSPXZero was only and understandably confused, going ‘What the fuck is this?’ – a feeling indeed shared.
This whole scenario has led to an odd split in the community. On one side, the gamers who are trying very hard to see the relevance of the new content are there. The users EdgeNightmare_ and Mobbmember are somewhat indecisive about the three New Listings missions that apparently get connected with new mansions in the game. They are really involving themselves in the discussion about prices, with one happening to mention around 6 million in-game dollars for a mansion, and another saying that the cheapest one is 7 million. So, Los Santos grinders that are still around and patiently waiting to get the new house content are having their patience rewarded for sure.
On the other hand, the other side consists of non-players who hold simply that this is nothing more than a delaying tactic. User KC_4191 had a conversation with Lonetiger99 where he stated that Rockstar ‘just can’t let go of [GTA V] because it is such a cash cow.’ Lonetiger99 replied by saying that people back then saw Rockstar making other games like Max Payne while developing GTA, but now, they simply take all the money they can from GTA Online. It is indeed a good point. How long can they keep on adding cars and safehouses before everyone just… stops caring?
The discontent is global as well. One user, batmanali219701, posted in Farsi that when translated says ‘Work on GTA6, motherfr.’ No translation needed, the meaning is clear. The demand for a new game has by now crossed language boundaries.
And there is also the speculation about whether this is really the end or not. User Goo69Giggity commented on content creator TGG saying, ‘This won’t be the send-off DLC, we still have another one coming up for next summer as GTA 6 won’t be releasing until next November.’ Thus, some gamers are already ready for an entire year of GTA Online updates, which is either they are super dedicated or they are suffering from stockholm syndrome, it’s hard to tell which one.
Even the YouTubers are among the ones being criticized. User vxnshe reacted to TGG asking if he is ‘still looking forward to GTAV updates bro? 😭’ – that crying emoji is really telling. Content creators have the obligation to cover these things, but the exhaustion of the whole process is something that can be felt.
So what exactly is there in this update? The title ‘A Safehouse in the Hills’ implies a new property which is likely to be a luxury mansion in the Vinewood hills area. The Prix Luxury looks to be a limited-time offer for the players to get engaged with the new content through the provision of a free car and tiered rewards. This is very Rockstar-like; it is like offering the players a new grind with some glittering prizes at the end. The Übermacht Revolter is a sports car, so if you are a vehicle collector, well, you have got a free car.
Nonetheless, the response points to the fact that for a big part of the players, the game is not exciting anymore. When a user, HE_IS_SUPERIOR, voices his concern about the car being ‘revolting’ and requests the addition of ‘SOME HOMELESS GUYS or FREDDY KRUEGER OR SOMETHING,’ you can be sure that the people are just demanding something that is really new and wild.
It’s a very unusual position for GTA Online to be in. The game is still getting updates, and there are still gamers who are very much into it and even discussing the new mansion missions and the prices, but the loudest ones are playing on PlayStation and Xbox.
