GTA Online's new Cayo Perico Heist payout explained

The GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist payout was gutted with the September 28, 2023 update, nerfing many of its target's values by 10-60%. This adjustment by the developer Rockstar Games was made for balancing reasons. The heist has been previously nerfed by having guards detect dead bodies and solo players having to wait two extra in-game days to start a new setup mission.

This article includes all adjusted payouts from the recent nerfs effective since September 28, 2023. The Cayo Perico Heist payout could always get additional changes down the line as Rockstar Games aims to improve the GTA Online experience with each passing year.

Here is how much The Cayo Perico Heist's payout was nerfed in GTA Online

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Here are how the Primary Targets for the Cayo Perico Heist payout were affected in the associated GTA Online weekly update from old payouts to new:

Primary Targets	Old Payouts	New Payouts
Madrazo Files	No change
Ruby Necklace	$1,000,000	$700,000
Sinsimito Tequila	$900,000	$630,000
Pink Diamond	No change
Bearer Bonds	$1,100,000	$770,000

For reference, here are the Hard Mode changes:

Primary Targets	Old Payouts	New Payouts
Madrazo Files	No change
Ruby Necklace	$1,100,000	$770,000
Sinsimito Tequila	$990,000	$693,000
Pink Diamond	No change
Bearer Bonds	$1,210,000	$847,000

That means several Primary Targets got nerfed by 30%, making players lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. Keep in mind that the affected items are the most common Primary Targets in terms of spawn rates. The Pink Diamond rarely spawns, and the Madrazo Files are only available on the first playthrough.

This is what Rockstar Games said about the balance changes (Image via Rockstar Games)

The setup for this heist went from $25,000 to $100,000, effectively making GTA Online players lose an extra $75,000 in the process. El Rubio's cash in his office safe also has a lower minimum, going from $50,000 to $20,000. Thankfully, the cap is still $99,000 there, although the lower minimum value means it's still a nerf.

Cayo Perico Heist Secondary Targets Value

Here is how the secondary targets for the Cayo Perico Heist payout got affected:

Secondary Targets	Old Payouts	New Payouts
Cash	$87,500 - $92,500	$78,750 - $83,250
Artwork	$175,000 - $200,000	$157,500 - $180,000
Weed	$145,000 - $150,000	$130,500 - $135,000
Cocaine	$220,000 - $225,000	$198,000 - $202,500
Gold	No change

Apart from Gold, Rockstar Games lowered all other GTA Online Cayo Perico secondary target values by 10%. Cocaine also had its spawn rate reduced from 40% to 30% across various locations but increased the odds to 60% in spots where there must be two players.

These Cayo Perico Heist changes are essentially nerfs

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In a nutshell, GTA Online players can expect to earn:

30% less money from most Primary targets
10% less money from most Secondary Targets
Up to 60% less from El Rubio's safe

Don't forget that they must now pay 4x money in setup fees compared to previous weeks. It is worth noting that Rockstar Games doubled the base payouts of Assault on Cayo Perico, which is a GTA Online Adversary Mode tied to the island from this heist, in the same update.

Rockstar Games plans to monitor payouts and make further adjustments in GTA Online whenever they deem necessary. There is already public outcry on Twitter, Reddit, and other social media platforms for this recent Cayo Perico Heist nerf.

One can only wonder what the future has in store for this game. In related news, there are some rumblings of a potential GTA 6 trailer 2 coming out in 2024.

How to Play Cayo Perico Heist Hard Mode

If you want to play GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist in hard mode, just start the heist within 48 minutes, or 1 in-game day, of Pavel sending you the text message for scoping out the island the second time. This will boost the value of all primary heist targets by 10%.

Cayo Perico Heist Bonus Payouts

Here are the boosted Cayo Perico Heist payouts for each primary target with a 10% bonus, which is only unlocked by playing the heist on hard mode:

Primary Targets	Payouts
Sinsimito Tequila	$693,000
Ruby Necklace	$770,000
Bearer Bonds	$847,000
Pink Diamond	$1,430,000
Panther Statue	$2,090,000

Other articles on GTA 5 Online Heists:

FAQs on Cayo Perico Heist payout

Is The Cayo Perico Heist payout reduced?

Yes, Rockstar nerfed the Cayo Perico Heist Payout with a GTA Online update on September 28, 2023.

What gives the most money in Cayo Perico Heist?

The Panther Statue gives the most amount of money in Cayo Perico Heist but it's not always available.

How much does Cayo Perico heist pay after Nerf?

You now get 30% less payout from most Primary targets, 10% less payout from most Secondary Targets, and up to 60% less payout from El Rubio's safe with the Cayo Perico Heist nerf.

Is Cayo Perico worth it?

Yes, despite the nerfs, Cayo Perico Heist in GTA Online is still quite lucrative and easy to complete, and it can be finished completely solo.

Edited by Ritoban "Veloxi" Paul