Is GTA Online’s nerfed Cayo Perico Heist worth doing?

There is no denying that The Cayo Perico Heist has gotten a lot worse in GTA Online after its latest nerfs. However, one must wonder if it's still worth doing after the recent update. For those out of the loop, September 28, 2023, brought forth major balancing changes to this beloved heist. Several Primary Targets lost 30% of their value, while most Secondary Targets gave players 10% less money for collecting them.

Sadly, that wasn't all. The safe within El Rubio's office now has a lower limit, going from $50,000 to $20,000. One more nerf worth mentioning is that the setup fee for The Cayo Perico Heist went from $25,000 to $100,000 in this GTA Online update.

All these changes made this heist go from a must-have moneymaker for solo players to just something disappointing compared to its past self.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective.

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GTA Online's Cayo Perico Heist is okay, but it's a shell of its former glory

The Cayo Perico Heist isn't terrible as far as making money goes, but players should expect to earn far less than they did before. Here are the Primary Target payouts after the latest GTA Online weekly update:

• Madrazo Files: $1,100,000
• Sinsimito Tequila: $630,000
• Sinsimito Tequila (Hard Mode): $693,000
• Ruby Necklace: $700,000
• Ruby Necklace (Hard Mode): $770,000
• Bearer Bonds: $770,000
• Bearer Bonds (Hard Mode): $847,000
• Pink Diamond: $1,300,000
• Pink Diamond (Hard Mode): $1,430,000
• Panther Statue: $1,900,000
• Panther Statue (Hard Mode): $2,090,000

Here are some important notes about The Cayo Perico Heist's Primary Targets in GTA Online:

• Madrazo Files are only available on the first playthrough.
• Panther Statues only appear on some event weeks.
• Pink Diamonds did not have their value changed.

The Pink Diamond is still good to get, but the odds of obtaining one are smaller than its nerfed counterparts. Getting 30% less value on most Primary Targets essentially means players typically get a few hundred thousand less than before as a result of The Cayo Perico Heist nerfs.

$100,000 is a bit steep for a setup in conjunction with the other nerfs (Image via HoYoverse)

These changes aren't quite desirable for the GTA Online 10th anniversary update. Still, players could earn good money doing this heist. Gamers who typically go for the Primary Target and El Rubio's safe could make about a $600K profit with the lower-tier Primary Targets. You can earn more with the Secondary Targets, which have the following values per stack:

• Cash: $78,750 to $83,250
• Artwork: $157,500 to $180,000
• Weed: $130,500 to $135,000
• Cocaine: $198,000 to $202,500
• Gold: $328,333 to $333,333

Gold's value has remained unchanged. Everything else became 10% cheaper than before. Now that GTA Online players understand how nerfed The Cayo Perico Heist is, it's time to ask if it's worth doing.

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Is The Cayo Perico Heist worth doing now?

I mean, it's still great money. byu/Bare_V23 ingtaonline

This heist is no longer significantly better than most other solo activities in the game. Nowadays, it's balanced to be a solid alternative that some players might like doing. If you're skilled enough, you can easily earn over one million per run, especially on Hard Mode.

All that said, some players might be dissuaded from trying out this heist since it's far less profitable than before. This activity is ultimately fine to do, especially if players didn't compare it to how overpowered it was years ago.

There are definitely better alternatives (like Sell Missions on some weekly updates boosting profits), so the new meta is unlikely to involve rushing to buy a Kosatka anymore.

Note that the Cayo Perico Heist Replay Glitch with Pink Diamonds and Panther Statues is still exceptionally good in GTA Online.

In related news, check out the latest GTA 6 announcement rumors.