When are animals reportedly being added to GTA Online?

GTA Online is launching a new update this December, and it's bringing in a ton of new facets to celebrate Rockstar's 25th Anniversary. However, the most surprising addition to this upcoming DLC is animals, marking their debut in this game. Rockstar recently published a newswire post detailing all of the changes coming in the winter update.

Here's everything players need to know about animals and other additions in GTA Online's upcoming update.

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GTA Online's winter update adding animals to the game

In their November 30 Newswire post, Rockstar stated the December update for Grand Theft Auto Online would add wildlife in freemode. Given the latest GTA Online weekly update has been extended till December 11, players can expect the new major update to arrive on December 12, 2023.

Rockstar usually extends a weekly update for the game. With the event ending before Tuesday, it means a DLC will launch the next day. However, this is just speculation, and the final date will be announced by Rockstar.

The description in the Newswire article reads:

"Wildlife comes to Freemode: animals now rove the Southern San Andreas landscape across GTA Online on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles."

Based on this, animals in Grand Theft Auto Online will be restricted to the Expanded and Enhanced edition on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. PC players will not get any wildlife in the multiplayer variant of Grand Theft Auto 5.

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What else to expect from GTA Online's upcoming winter update

Rockstar has described a few of the upcoming features and additions for Grand Theft Auto Online's winter update. Apart from some new cars, there's a brand-new Salvage Yard business that will tie into Vehicle Robbery missions. There are also some Drift Races for specific cars "custom-made for precision slide turns," and more.

In addition, to commemorate Rockstar Games' 25th Anniversary, there will be tons of limited-time in-game clothing, Christmas surprises, and more. Rockstar also revealed that Yusuf Amir will make an appearance, and players will get to do Vehicle Robberies for him.

There's also a new vehicle storage facility called "The Vinewood Club Garage," which is exclusive to GTA+ members and can hold up to 100 vehicles. PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players will be able to manage their vehicle collections from their Interaction Menu.

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The new update will introduce a lot of content to Grand Theft Auto Online, with most of the improvements being exclusive to next-gen consoles.