Rockstar is finally preparing to gift $500,000 of virtual cash to every player of its GTA Online mode – a promise the company made on 14 October, but has so far been unable to deliver. An online update issued on Friday informed gamers that another update to the online multiplayer servicer, which is free to owners of Grand Theft Auto 5, will be made available for download early this week. The money will then be dropped into the accounts of players, in two equal payments of $250,000, a few days later.
There's a condition, however: the package will only be provided to veterans who played GTA Online during its shaky debut month. Launched on 2 October, the ambitious online option, which allows players to compete for cash and experience points on the streets of Los Santos, has been beset by server breakdowns as well as data loss problems. Thousands complained of losing characters and money as Rockstar engineers fought to cope with the demand of several million players hitting its online infrastructure simultaneously. Several downloadable updates have followed, some to solve technical issues, other to prevent wily players from exploiting glitches in the game to make easy money.
The continuing problems with data loss, as well as ongoing attempts to balance the in-game economy, are almost certainly behind the delay in issuing the $500,000 payout. Players have seen several major changes to the financial system over the past few weeks including a large reduction in the cost of being killed in the game's open-world "free" mode, but also a reduction in the amount that can be made from repeatedly beating the same money-making missions.
Away from money woes, the publisher is promising a range of new content for the GTA Online game mode in order to maintain interest. The free "Beach Bum" downloadable content pack, due in "early November", adds new beach-themed vehicles and clothes as well as extra races and Gang Attack, Survival and Last Team Standing jobs. A content creator mode is also due, allowing players to create their own customised races and death matches, with the best featured on the Rockstar site. The company has also announced a series of Grand Theft Auto Online Social Club Event weekends, with special bonuses, rewards and limited edition crate drops into the online city.
More intriguingly, Rockstar assures us this will be the week we find out about the new Heists, which are set to bring more in-depth cooperative missions to the online offering. A Capture The Flag mode is also imminent. The publisher's mailout ends with yet another seductive promise: "We will also have initial details on more additional content coming for both Story Mode and GTA Online in the next few weeks."
For now, though, many GTA Online players have just one demand for Rockstar: show me the money.
