Thus, Rockstar Games has granted an update for GTA Online in the course of the holiday season, right? Everything – presents, attire, various places going through decorations, and the very return of holiday modes. It’s that time of the year again in Los Santos where even the most crafty of a griefer riding the Oppressor can’t overtake the fun gone wild while everyone is trying to drive on the snowy roads. But this year’s coming from Twitter, via Rockstar, seems to have created quite an uproar in the comments which is not just about what’s under the tree.
For the start, here’s a summary for the people who only want the main point: Rockstar Games has unlocked the yearly winter celebration in Grand Theft Auto Online. Downloads consisting of fashionable winter attire, festive locales, and winter-based gaming are among the goodies of that update. Even more, importantly, snowfall (the most awaited and debated among the features) will occur from the 23rd of December. It will stay for around a week thus giving a very festive touch to Los Santos. Reactions from the community are sharply split into two groups: the first one is of hard-core fans who are hyping up the tradition and the second one is of grumpy players who are whining about the timing and the short duration of winter. The comments also show the shadow of the soon-to-be-released Grand Theft Auto VI looming over the situation.
Fine, let’s get down to business. The tweet in question is along the lines of what we have come to expect from Rockstar: glitzy, very much driven by marketing, and with a link directing to newswire. But just go through the replies, please. They narrate a story that is quite different. It’s like you have the entire current mood of the GTA Online’s player base that is concentrated in one comment section and is waiting to be noticed.
From nowhere, the most asked question of the moment just appeared: what is the snow like? User ‘daryiljohnson30’ in a very direct manner wanted to know, “No snow this time?” And there were others beside them. User ‘KingAkamaQc’ is almost shouting “WHERE THE SNOW” in his comment. The good news is that the snow is coming but it will not be there until the 23rd of December. And that’s where the problem starts. To a lot of gamers, the snowing of Los Santos is the sign that Christmas has come in GTA. ‘cherfy’ says it is a tradition which has lasted for years in the case of this 12-year-old game and he adds, “12 years and still excited for Xmas in LS.”
But the deferment of snowing has gotten people all worked up. One user by the name of ‘ArielHe1608’ went on to make an epic rant blasting Rockstar for making this “our last Christmas before GTA VI” and for giving just a week of snow that starts right before the holiday. “Does Rockstar think nobody has family, friends, or travels on that date?” was their question and it is indeed a very good point. Many players, including ‘ryanfar12’ and ‘derfstu’, are expressing the same feelings and they say that December 23rd is too late and that the short snow duration indicates poor scheduling. User ‘thestevepatrick’ simply wished the snow “was around longer.”
On the other hand, there are the people who have the opposite view. Not everybody is a snow lover. User ‘VH1996VH’ was very straightforward when saying, “Don’t bring back snow this year. It makes driving (the main part of the game) absolutely terrible.” It is a classic dispute. Some players are very much in favor of the whole atmosphere and the challenge while others simply see it as a frustrating slog. User ‘Tamrielan’ added his voice to these complaints and said, “Bring back the snow for longer. Forget the whiny complaints from those who can’t drive.” So, the long debated about snow driving in GTA is still here?
The snow topic has very much to do with the still ongoing presence of GTA VI. A user with the name ‘Kersty’ remarked, “La última navidad en GTA 5 (Por tercera vez),” which translates to “The last Christmas in GTA 5 (for the third time).” It’s a joke, but it highlights a very real feeling. With the next installment finally confirming, this holiday season appears to be a goodbye tour for many gamers. ‘SovietSeals’ straight away asked, “Where’s Festive gta 6,” and ‘tyrannoslops’ suggested the best festive gift would be “more teasers for GTA 6.”
