If you’re considering starting with GTA Online in 2022 or returning to the world of Los Santos, we will show you what has changed and why the game is worth it.
What can you expect? GTA Online has a lot of content that has been added gradually since its release in 2013. You don’t have to pay for new DLCs; everyone gets access to them. However, the new properties and vehicles cost GTA dollars, which you can buy for real money or earn in the game.
GTA Online offers a variety of content for single-player and multiplayer, ranging from exciting heists to racing to quiet tournaments on the golf course. But is it worth starting with GTA Online in 2022? We clarify that question here.
What can newcomers expect?
GTA Online summarized: In GTA Online, you will find a world full of criminal activities. Because hardly anyone makes money here the “normal” way. And that is your goal: to earn lots of money so you can buy the content that Rockstar Games regularly releases. Of course, you want to park the new Lambo in your garage, but you first need to get those millions into your bank account.
You can manage drug labs as the boss of a biker gang and deliver the finished product to your customers. Motorcycles too boring? Then steal valuable cargo with planes and bring it to your hangar. But even in heists, whether solo or in co-op mode, you fill your piggy bank.
In sessions with other players, events take place where you have to deal the most damage in a matter of seconds. To do this, you destroy cars and blow them up. The three most destructive players will be rewarded afterward.
The good news: For players on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, there are now special versions of GTA 5 & GTA Online that are tailored to the performance of the new consoles and make the most of graphics and performance.
Racing: A key component of the GTA series is racing. Whether with cars, boats, planes, motorcycles, bicycles, or in stunt races, everything at once. Depending on the race, you can use your tuned vehicles and compete against other players with their souped-up rides.
Shooting: You will reach for a weapon in almost every area of GTA Online. It is one of the core elements of the Grand Theft Auto series to shoot randomly or deliberately. In PvP modes, you face other players directly in the game areas and duel with provided weapons. If you prefer to play in co-op, then you can use your arsenal in heists to rake in millions of GTA dollars.
In the open sessions in Los Santos, shootings are the order of the day. The selection ranges from stun guns to laser weapons to guided missiles. If it all becomes too colorful for you, you must activate passive mode and will be protected from the nasty deeds of other players. However, you will have to forgo some content that you cannot use from your “safe” position. For example, you cannot attack enemies while you are invulnerable. Important deliveries of drugs, which earn you money, are also not possible. You can change your hairstyle, drive around, shoot at civilians, and handle similar small tasks in passive mode.
Money grind: As a new player, you will initially be pleasantly overwhelmed by the various contents of GTA Online. But you will quickly realize that money rules the world in Los Santos as well. For a cool super sports car that you saw with another player, you need to put a few million dollars on the table.
This quickly develops into a grind because naturally there are a few ways that are more lucrative than others. Someone who robs gas stations all day, races, and plays PvP modes will earn less money than someone who grinds the Cayo Perico Heist in the same time.
Bonus: The story in Grand Theft Auto V is a highlight
What is happening there? Fans love the Grand Theft Auto series for its crazy stories, which often tie into real events or people, which the game then pokes fun at. The story of GTA 5 is absolutely recommended.
You control three protagonists in single-player: Michael, a family man and former bank robber. Trevor, who was once Michael’s heist partner and still has an account to settle. And Franklin, who wants to elevate his boring life with a few hot jobs.
All three types have a great chemistry together, which runs through the various story missions. During the campaign, all your skills with the weapon, in the car, in the water, and in the air are called for. You will even encounter different endings that you trigger depending on your choices.
Conclusion: Is it worth it for newcomers? Pros and cons
What can returning players expect?
What has happened recently: In March 2022, Rockstar Games finally released the standalone version of GTA Online. So if you are not interested in the story mode and just want to play online, you don’t have to buy “the whole” game, but can access the cheaper online standalone version.
Players debate about the next-gen upgrade for GTA 5 – From “Terrible” to “I love it”
On March 29, Rockstar Games launched the paid “GTA+” subscription for GTA Online. It has a fixed price of €6 per month and offers exclusive bonuses. Subscription customers receive special content before other players, as well as cash gifts and special discounts.
Depending on when you left GTA Online, a lot has happened since then. In 2015, the heist update fundamentally changed the online mode and finally provided repeatable content that players still love today. In 2016, the large DLC Further Adventures in Finance and Felony was released, which brought alternative ways to earn money and opened up the grind.
Another highlight was the release of the Bikers DLC, which focused its content on motorcycles and motorcycle clubs. You acquire the raw materials, your employees process the stuff, and you sell coke or similar things on a large scale. In the same year as the Biker DLC, the Import/Export DLC was also launched, which still offers one of the most lucrative ways to earn money.
When the casino finally opened in GTA Online in 2019, the excitement was great. Now you can gamble and hope for a three-of-a-kind with the one-armed bandits. You can exchange your chips for GTA dollars. The crowning finish for 2019 was the Casino Heist, which brings players a lot of money.
The next major highlight shouldn’t take long to arrive. The release of the Cayo Perico update brought one of the heists into the game that still earns you a lot of money today. With our solo guide for the Cayo Perico Heist, you can quickly earn millions. The story revolves around the drug lord “El Rubio”, who owns a fancy private island where people party a lot. Coincidentally, there are also a lot of drugs and valuables on the island that you are supposed to steal in the heist.
The quality-of-life highlight followed in 2021. An update fixed the eternally long loading times – Previously, a fix was found by a community member after players had criticized for years how slow everything was.
- With the Gunrunning DLC, new types of income and a way for weapon upgrades were introduced to the game in 2017.
- Smugglers Run
brought access to hangars and cool planes in 2017, as well as a new way to earn money through the collection of deliveries. - At the end of 2017, the Doomsday Heist caused a stir, which also introduced a flying car.
- Nightclubs opened in GTA Online in 2018 – Here you have an overview of all passive income properties in one building.
- With the Arena War DLC, new game modes and car variations entered the online world of GTA 5 in 2018.
- In Summer 2021, Rockstar Games released the big Tuner Update featuring the LS Car Meet and special tuning missions
- In Winter 2021, the big story update “The Contract” followed, bringing Franklin back from single-player to the online world. Additionally, there are agencies in the game where you interact with Franklin and his clients.
Players who left due to too much grind: Earning money in GTA Online is still associated with a certain grind. While there are now various options like the Cayo Perico Heist or missions as a biker boss/CEO, you still need to invest time.
How to earn the most money currently is shown in our money guide for GTA Online:
Players who left due to lack of group content: Lucrative group contents that fill your account are heists in GTA Online. The heists run through several missions and culminate in a big finale that can pay out several million GTA dollars for your group. Rockstar Games regularly brings new heists as group content that you can also play solo.
Additionally, there are various game modes from racing to regular missions that you can complete in co-op or versus.
Players who left due to lack of roleplay: Since 2017, roleplay has become increasingly popular on GTA servers. On Twitch, this gained more attention and gave the “old” GTA Online top rankings on the streaming platform. A look into this community is worthwhile if you’re into roleplay in the world of GTA 5.
Learn in the interview on MeinMMO why you should try roleplay in GTA Online.
What does the future hold for GTA Online?
What will happen with GTA Online? In the future, we can probably expect more DLCs for GTA Online. Typically, developers release one to two major updates per year that are free for all players. The content from these updates can be purchased for GTA dollars that you earn in-game or buy for real money.
New DLCs again bring new ways to earn money. This ensures variety in the content. However, the developers have always remained true to themselves and brought a mix of madness, shootings, and entertainment with every update.
GTA 6 has been announced. Many players are now waiting for it. How many years it will be until the release is unclear. But it can be assumed that Rockstar Games will continue to bring more updates to the online world of Grand Theft Auto V in the meantime, in which you can let loose.
Who is GTA Online still worth it for in 2022?
I have now spent over 800 hours of gameplay in GTA Online. I regularly play the new content, grind, and purchase cars and properties. I enjoy playing in co-op with friends to experience the tactical heists with their crazy stories as a group and have fun together.
However, I cannot recommend the game to everyone.
In GTA Online, earning money has certainly become easier, but you still have to play a lot to afford the super sports cars with prices in the millions. And tuning comes as an extra cost on top of that. With every update, you should have a few million dollars on hand to afford the new essential content at all. You then make money from this to pay for even more new content.
In lobbies on PC, encounters with modders are usually a very negative experience. They can force you to seek out a new session with their hacks. Alternatively, you watch your character die over and over again – without doing anything.
On the other hand, GTA Online offers a wide variety of content. You can race alone or with passengers against other players, shootouts occur in open lobbies and also in special game modes. You have endless PvP content.
Even PvE friends will get their money’s worth with heists. This now works even solo OR as a group.
I recommend starting or playing together with friends. In a group, you have much more fun with the content, and reliable teammates in heists are worth their weight in gold.
If you have an allergy to grinding, it’s better to pick a different game.
Patrick Freese
Editor at Mein-MMO
