Should Rockstar release GTA Online updates early for GTA Plus members?

There is an interesting discussion to be had regarding whether GTA Plus members should get early access to upcoming GTA Online updates or not. It is vital to mention that Rockstar Games has not stated anything about this matter. This topic is merely for the sake of discussion since some people have previously expressed concern regarding the prospect.

The whole concept of GTA Plus is divisive as a whole, so such an idea wouldn't go over well. However, one could also argue that the current benefits are rather lackluster, especially for July. There is no past precedence to rely on since this next update will be the first major one since the subscription's debut.

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GTA Online players would probably hate seeing GTA Plus members get early access to updates

Many GTA Online players hated how GTA Plus members got access to new HSW vehicles before the general public could. In that case, those subscribers got access to vehicles significantly faster than others in their class, which gave them a huge advantage in races.

For example, the Deveste Eight's HSW upgrades were available to those subscribers way before the rest of the playerbase got access to them. The vehicle is significantly faster than most other Super cars, prompting some players to deem it a play-to-win scenario.

However, that was just one car. Having more content from a brand new update would be significant.

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Pros and Cons of GTA Plus giving players early access to GTA Online updates

It's not as black and white as it might seem (Image via Rockstar Games)

It would certainly be controversial, but here are some advantages:

• Give players more of a reason to sign up for the subscription
• Rockstar Games would obviously get more money
• There would be less of a wait to see what's new

More predictably, there would be several downsides:

• It would create an even bigger P2W perception for GTA Online
• This subscription model is already very unpopular with a vocal playerbase
• It just unnecessarily delays the update for non-members
• Not everybody wants to spend money on a game after already buying it
• It would set a bad precedence

It's not as if such a move would be universally bad and devoid of advantages, but the disadvantages would be quite significant. Thankfully, Rockstar Games has made no announcement about this, but some of their past decisions have drawn ire from the fanbase before.

Their reputation isn't as good as it once was, with issues such as Red Dead Online being dead and the GTA Trilogy being a complete joke in the gaming community.

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When is the next update?

The current speculation is that the next major GTA Online update will appear on July 25, 2022, or sometime shortly after. This was after the initial rumors stated that it would appear a week prior, but Rockstar Games extended the current event week to last until July 25.

Similarly, the GTA Plus membership bonuses were also extended to last as long. As far as what's known, the following tweet shines a lot of light on what Rockstar hasn't revealed yet.

Basically, players should expect the following:

• Two new garages (20 vehicle slots + 6 bicycle slots)
• Two new rifles (one of which is a Tactical Rifle)
• A skydiving activity
• A skydiving collectible
• Some activity outside of San Andreas

Rockstar Games has not confirmed when the next GTA Online update will be live or if GTA Plus members will get any bonuses related to it.