After some previous teases, Rockstar announced today the Criminal Enterprises update for Grand Theft Auto Online will be released on July 26. This upcoming free update sounds like it will be one of the biggest the game has ever received, with numerous quality of life changes, improvements, and business expansions.
Following rumors and hints, Rockstar has finally started to share details about GTA Online’s big summer update. But there’s bad news for the folks living in the digital world of GTA Online as intense heatwaves and soaring gas prices will make life even more miserable. Luckily, for all you online lawbreakers out there, this offers some new criminal opportunities as well as a chance to help the government take down some other bad guys via a new series of in-game missions.
As part of this Criminal Enterprises update, Rockstar is adding a new series of missions that have players teaming up once again with the IAA (GTA’s take on the CIA) as an off-the-books agent to help take down a “notorious oil-rich dynasty” in Los Santos who is profiting off the heat and soaring prices.
But that’s just one part of this massive upcoming update. In today’s blog post sharing details on the update, Rockstar explained that every in-game business in GTA Online is being expanded, giving players more ways to make more cash. For example, biker bars will now fill up with customers and players can run missions to keep the booze and money flowing. Even better, it sounds like all of these expansions will be free.
While I’ve enjoyed some of the businesses Rockstar has added to the game over the years, it’s nice to see the devs going back and expanding on the old content instead of just cramming yet another business into the mix.
However, for longtime players, the most exciting changes and tweaks coming in this next big patch are all the little quality of life improvements.
Rockstar promises there will be a faster way to get to your snacks, which would make healing during a gunfight easier. Also coming: Nerfs to the infamous and annoying Oppressor Mk. 2 armed jetbike, which has long ruled the skies of GTA Online and led to many players rage quitting. Another small but massive change is that all business activities, including sell missions, will soon be fully playable in private sessions. This has been requested by fans for years and it’s nice to see it finally happening. Rockstar is also increasing the payout of old heists, races, and adversary modes and will increase how much associates and bodyguards get paid, too.
All and all, this update is exactly what GTA Online needs. After years and years of Rockstar cramming more and more into the game, often not going back to tweak or improve stuff after the fact, it’s nice to see an update focused mostly on expanding old content while also adding fan-requested features and changes.
Update: 7/22/22: Following yesterday’s announcement of The Criminal Enterprises update coming to GTA Online, Rockstar Games has shared more information on some of the quality of life changes and tweaks being made to the long-running open-world game.
The full blog post on Rockstar’s site includes a complete list of changes. It’s a long list, but here are some changes that stood out to me:
- Players will now be able to buy max ammo for all weapons at once via the interaction menu. Also, players will be able to easily access snacks and armor via hotkeys that are active when the weapon wheel is up.
- Oh, and when you die during a mission, Rockstar will restock your snacks to whatever you had before, which will make it easier to retry tricky missions, especially when playing solo.
- On PC, you’ll be able to turn off the in-game chat box.
- Rockstar is finally letting players jog instead of just walking inside the casino and nightclubs.
- You will now be able to own 10 properties in-game, increasing your total garage space by up to 20 vehicles. I don’t really like owning that much stuff, but for collectors out there, this is a big deal.
- To help combat annoying griefers, kills in free roam will no longer affect your K/D stat.
- And if someone does attack you in free roam in a weaponized vehicle and you fight back, you won’t be charged a destruction fee if you successfully blow up your attacker.
- The in-game Race Creator tool is being greatly expanded, letting players add more checkpoints, props, increase player count in some races, and more.
Rockstar says these changes came directly from fan feedback, which I believe. Many of these changes have long been requested by fans for years. While there are still many things that can be modified and improved in GTA Online, this upcoming update will go a long way toward making the game feel more streamlined, modern, and fun.
All of this and more goes live when the Criminal Enterprises update lands on July 26 across all platforms.