GTA Online has microtransactions in the form of Shark Cards that players may buy to gain an advantage. They give financial bonuses to players and can have a big influence on their in-game success.
GTA Online has proven to be Rockstar's most successful effort to date. It continues to earn billions in revenue almost every year. The profit in the game is made entirely through Shark Cards, as there are no other modes of purchase.
Although players need to buy a copy of GTA 5 to play its multiplayer variant, many have got the game for free. This is because Epic Games made it available free of cost on their web store for a limited period of time.
This means that Shark Cards have been the only thing that sustains such massive profits for Rockstar.
GTA Online: Should players spend their money on Shark Cards?
GTA Online has been receiving major content updates for almost a decade now. These aren't just general improvements, but massive overhauls often changing the whole structure of gameplay.
Some of these updates, like the Los Santos Tuners, have been well-received by fans. Others, such as the Los Santos Summer Special, have disappointed players. The scale of the updates suggests that Rockstar spends a lot of time and effort behind GTA Online.
This wouldn't have been possible had the game been a one-time purchase without any microtransactions. The Shark Card purchases are what compels Rockstar to release quality content for the game continually.
List of Shark Cards and their prices
- Red Shark - GTA$ 100,000 - $2.99 USD
- Tiger Shark - GTA$ 200,000 - $4.99 USD
- Bull Shark - GTA$ 500,000 - $9.99 USD
- Great White Shark - GTA$ 1,250,000 - $19.99 USD
- Whale Shark - GTA$ 3,500,000 - $49.99 USD
- Megalodon Shark - GTA$ 8,000,000 - $99.99 USD
Should players buy Shark Cards in 2021?
As it can be seen from the poll above, the majority of GTA Online players believe that Shark Cards are terribly overpriced. On top of that, it defeats the purpose of playing the game.
The very aim of GTA Online is to earn money and expand one's criminal empire. Sometimes, this can become repetitive because of the continuous grinding. However, this issue has been solved with the launch of the Cayo Perico Heist. Players can do the heist to earn a lot of money in a short time.
It makes little sense to buy a Shark Card in 2021. Although it will make the player progress through the game instantly, it is quite expensive. The price would not be worth it since the player would quickly become bored.