Why GTA Online’s upcoming nerfs to the Oppressor Mk II and Cayo Perico Heist are hugely significant

Multiple facets are getting buffed in GTA Online's next update, but the Oppressor Mk II and Cayo Perico Heist will be receiving nerfs instead. Both have been huge parts of the game's identity for a while now, so it's bound to shake up the meta.

The Oppressor Mk II is a ferocious flying motorcycle capable of easily destroying other players and NPCs due to its very low skill floor.

Likewise, The Cayo Perico Heist is the best moneymaker for solo players. These upcoming nerfs have received both criticism and praise from the GTA Online community, as there are legitimate concerns regarding both features.

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How the nerfs to the Oppressor Mk II and Cayo Perico Heist will affect the meta in GTA Online

The above tweet contains a Newswire article with all of the relevant details on what's getting buffed and nerfed. Here is the passage for the first major nerf on the most controversial vehicle in the game:

"Plus, the effectiveness of the Homing Missiles on the Pegassi Oppressor Mk II has been reduced, and its countermeasures will have increased cooldowns and fewer uses."

Similarly, here is the Cayo Perico Heist nerf, as explained in the Newsire:

"Solo playthroughs of The Cayo Perico Heist Finale will trigger a cooldown of 3 in-game days. And after stealing a high value Primary Target in The Cayo Perico Heist Finale, the higher value Primary Targets will appear less often for the next 72 hours, while the value of Secondary Targets will increase."

There are a fair number of pros and cons to these nerfs worth discussing.

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The Oppressor Mk II nerf

The Oppressor Mk II is one of the most recognizable vehicles in all of GTA Online (Image via Rockstar Games)

Although Rockstar Games is vague about how much this vehicle's Homing Missiles will weaken, there is a good chance that this change will be extremely noticeable to players who use it regularly. It wouldn't just affect general PvP, either; such a change would alter how efficiently players would be able to farm various missions, including setups for popular heists.

The main pros to such a change include:

• Less griefing with this particular vehicle
• Freshens up the meta

The main cons to this change include:

• Becomes much less worthwhile to purchase
• Negatively affects its performance in non-PvP situations

Its already limited defensive utility will be harmed as well, as the increased cooldowns will give other GTA Online players more time to destroy Oppressor MK II enthusiasts. It's easy to see why those who hate this motorcycle are celebrating its nerfs, but others have been vocal about these changes going overboard.

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Cayo Perico Heist nerf

The Cayo Perico Heist getting increased cooldowns and less frequent high-value Primary Targets is a less popular change by comparison. Many GTA Online enthusiasts play the game solo as it is, so having to wait nearly two hours of real-time just to do this heist again can be a bit tedious.

Even if they are patient enough to do so, they are less likely to get high-value Primary Targets repeatedly. Some are also curious to find out how these upcoming changes will affect the ease of them accessing hard mode bonuses. Not every player will be receptive to waiting two hours to start again if that's the case.

Still, some GTA Online enthusiasts are divided on this subject. On one hand, it negatively affects popular solo moneymakers; on the other, it encourages GTA Online veterans to explore other options, especially since many activities have had their payouts buffed.

Some also see this as a way to get solo players to consider Shark Cards more. Whatever the case might be, this change will have a significant impact on the latter.