GTA Online's new Catch-Up modes explained (post-Chop Shop update)

Rockstar Games added some new Catch-Up modes for GTA Online races with The Chop Shop update from December 2023 that recently came to light. Expert GTA vehicle YouTuber, Broughy1322, released a video on the platform describing these newly added modes in detail and comparing them with the Classic Catch-Up mode, in terms of how they affect racers depending on their position in the competition.

In a nutshell, most of these modes dial back the performance capabilities of top-performing vehicles in a race allowing others a better chance to catch up to them. With that said, let's take a closer look at the new Catch-Up modes as explained by Broughy1322.

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Here's how the new Catch-Up modes work in GTA Online post The Chop Shop update

According to Broughy1322, a GTA Online car's engine value and velocity value data determine how fast it will be in the game. The higher they are, the faster the car will be. However, having a high drag value can result in the car being slower.

The GTA Online Catch-Up mechanic increases the drag value of players in top positions in a race, effectively slowing them down. As per Broughy1322, the Classic Catch-Up mode only slows down the top three participants in a race, and the player in first position is affected the most.

On the other hand, the new Catch-Up modes, that came to light after the recent GTA Online weekly update, affect participants in race at different rates. This depends on the type of Advanced Catch-Up mode selected by the host of the race.

Here are their names:

• Advanced - Low
• Advanced - Medium
• Advanced - High

Brough1322 states that the Advanced - Low Catch-Up mode only affects the top 50% of participants in a race. Advanced - Medium targets the top 80% of participants and Advanced - High Catch-Up mode affects all but the last participant in a race.

Catch-Up mode selector before a race (Image via YouTube/Broughy1322 || Rockstar Games)

It should also be noted that the rate at which racers are affected depends upon their position, with the drag value increasing gradually with each position.

Additionally, the new Catch-Up modes feature a Boosted Catch-Up mode that, interestingly, decreases the drag value for all participants' cars, essentially increasing their vehicle's speed, except for the player in the first place.

It goes without saying that all of these modes make multiplayer races in GTA Online just a little more interesting. However, it should be noted that the effects of the Catch-Up mode end once a player hits the penultimate checkpoint.

However, Broughy1322 believes that these new Catch-Up modes (Advanced) don't exactly work as they should and are bugged. Rockstar might address the issues in a future GTA Online background update, but for now all that the player base can do is wait.