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The 7 coolest additions to GTA Online so far
With GTA VI on the horizon, we celebrate the online world that pushed the limits of what a Grand Theft Auto game could be.
With GTA VI on the horizon, Rockstar Games recently proved there’s still life in GTA Online. On April Fool’s Day 2026, a new update brought back snow and the Gooch (definitely not ‘The Grinch’) to Los Santos in hilarious fashion. And long may it live on.
Ever since it launched with GTA V in 2013, Online has slowly taken on a life of its own, with many fans even claiming it’s better than the core game. While not all of the DLCs stuck, the ones that did changed our understanding of what a GTA game could be. In no particular order, here are some of our favourite GTA Online updates of all time.
Rockstar Games found the perfect formula with GTA Online
© Rockstar Games
01
The Diamond Casino Heist
Have you ever wanted to rob a casino? Well you’re in luck. Dropping at the end of 2019, this update finally turned the Diamond Casino into a relevant location. Better than that, it was the first time players actually got a choice about exactly how and when the heist goes down. With multiple approaches open to you, every replay feels fresh, whether you’re working through an entirely new set-up, or coming at it with a whole new plan.
The potential max payout of $3,619,000 makes it an eye-watering prospect, too. The only downside is that while it’s fun to take down scores like this as a one-person show, and the prep can be done solo, you will need to recruit a partner in crime for the finale robbery. Still, a cut of the cash is better than no cash at all, right?
02
The Contract
Dropping in 2020, The Contract update brings back Lamar and Franklin, gifting them a massively high-value business in the form of your private agency designed to help celebrities out of tricky spots. The highlight has to be the presence of none other than Dr Dre himself, who hires the agency to recover his stolen music.
Don't forget about Dre
© Rockstar Games
It’s the cut scenes that really stand out; Dre isn’t just here for two minutes to set the mission up, he features in a number of hilarious cinematics that really put the fun back into Online. Throw in original Dre music, and it starts to feel like one of the most thought-out updates in the game’s history. Extra music for Radio Los Santos and West Coast Classics is another welcome edition.
03
Los Santos Drug Wars
Released in December 2022, this two-part story update landed just in time for some festive narcotics running. The set up focuses on a new psychoactive drug trade business, with players teaming up with the brilliantly-named ‘Nervous Ron’ to set up an Acid Lab.
It’s Breaking Bad level stuff, with bikers, hippies and the law proving worthy antagonists across six separate story missions. As well as being highly-entertaining, it’s a really profitable business, too, with the Ocelot Virtue, an Imani Tech electric supercar, basically coming for free. Not the most moral story, but in the world of GTA Online, it’s proof that crime pays.
In the world of GTA, crime pays
© Rockstar Gamers
04
Los Santos Tuners
A slightly more wholesome update here. This one gives you the option to run your own auto shop, complete with car modding. If you’re into GTA for the rides rather than the crime (something that’s become slightly overlooked in recent iterations), this is for you. Best of all, it introduced the Los Santos Car Meet, a dedicated, safe-zone where petrolheads can show off their creations in a Cypress Flats warehouse.
Join up and you’ll get access to new races, and even new vehicles. Want to put your creations through their paces? You’ll also get access to a private test track, and the option to unlock even more modifications. It’s pretty heart-warming, to be honest.
05
Agents of Sabotage
There’s no harm in buying a garment factory, right? Nice productive business, looks good on your tax return. Oh, and it’s also great for laundering money and running robberies out of. The update features "FIB Files”, offering intel on high-stakes robbery targets alongside new vehicles and a garage.
There are big rewards for becoming an agent of sabotage
© Rockstar Games
Of course, these files (from the game’s equivalent of the FBI) don’t just appear out of thin air. They’re courtesy of a returning fan-favourite character, Jodi Marshall, a corrupt agent. Oh, and a certain Pavel from a certain heist mission further down this list also shows up. With payouts typically hitting $150k–$500k, becoming an agent of sabotage is not a shabby day’s work.
06
Import/Export
One of the OG ways to make money, the ability to import goods into your own warehouse was a simple but effective early update. It’s also an update that does away with a lot of the wackier elements of GTA Online (cough, jet-bikes, cough). At its core, it’s all about good, honest vehicle theft. Which is literally the title of the entire series.
You’ll scour Los Santos looking for high-rollers’ cars, boost them, and drive back to your Vehicle Warehouse. If the cops or criminal elements happen to pursue you, well, that’s on them. A relatively low-maintenance business to keep on top of, you can level up to top range cars after you’ve filled your garage with 10 unique and 10 mid-range vehicles. With space for a total of 40 vehicles, there’s plenty of cash out there, just waiting for you to drive it home.
Back to basics: boosting cars
© Rockstar Games
07
The Cayo Perico Heist
GTA heads will argue about the best heist of all time and the Cayo Perico Heist usually gets mentioned. In fact, most players agree that the Diamond Heist Casino update walked so Cayo Perico could run. The latter takes the multi-option approach of the earlier robbery and goes wild with it.
The set-up is straight out of a James Bond film, with players needing to infiltrate narcotrafficker El Rubio’s private Caribbean island. You can assemble a four-man team or go in solo. You can pretend to be a drug smuggler. You can buy a $2.2 million submarine, you can infiltrate through a drainage tunnel and stealth it up. However you want to do it, it’s really the update that keeps on giving, with each play-through as varied – and wild – as your imagination.
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