Will Michael De Santa make a comeback in the GTA Online Los Santos Drug War update?

GTA Online’s Winter DLC is on the horizon, with Rockstar Games officially releasing the update's name and some details about it. The Los Santos Drug War DLC is set to be released on December 13, 2022, but some players are disappointed as they were unable to find a crucial piece of previously rumored information in the official Newswires or teaser images.

For the past few months, the Grand Theft Auto community has been eagerly awaiting Michael De Santa's GTA Online debut. Multiple reports and leaked in-game files by different data miners further strengthened the rumor, which led to numerous fans to believing it was true.

Although recent teasers by Rockstar have debunked all of the prevailing rumors, fans are still eager to see Michael make a surprise appearance. This article discusses whether or not Michael will be a part of the Los Santos Drug War update in GTA Online.

Note: This article is subjective and only reflects the writer's opinions.

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Does the GTA Online Los Santos Drug War update include Michael De Santa?

The likely answer is no, Michael De Santa will not appear in the Los Santos Drug War update for Grand Theft Auto Online. At the very least, it is unlikely to happen for the time being.

When other Story Mode characters were added to the game, Rockstar Games made specific announcements ahead of time. When Franklin Clinton was added to The Contract DLC, the official Newswire read as:

“Join forces with one of Los Santos’ most famous hustlers and his friends in GTA Online: The Contract, an all-new adventure for solo players and groups, featuring the return of Grand Theft Auto V protagonist Franklin Clinton, manager of F. Clinton & Partner.”

Although the publisher has been fairly active on social media by releasing a number of Newswires about the update, none of them hinted at the slightest possibility of Michael making a debut in the multiplayer game.

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Michael De Santa references in GTA Online

Rockstar has added numerous in-game files and references to the character over the last year. Franklin makes an indirect reference to Michael when you participate in missions alongside him through the Agency. Later on, GTA data miners found a pedestrian model named 'movie set' with a potential spawn location in the game's files.

Although Michael De Santa's voice actor, Ned Luke, has been subtly hinting about the character's potential appearance, official sources tell a different story.

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Brief details about the upcoming Los Santos Drug War update in GTA Online

The Los Santos Drug War update will include a variety of gameplay changes, new missions, businesses, vehicles, weapons, clothing, and quality-of-life improvements. While all the announced details are exciting, GTA Online players are especially looking forward to the Acid Lab and the new MTL Brickade 6x6 truck in the game.

The new Acid Lab and Truck are related, and players must complete a new story-based mission called First Dose to establish the business. As revealed by recent reports, the Acid Lab is a mobile business unit that players will be able to spawn anywhere or transport it across the map in GTA Online.

According to Rockstar, the First Dose missions are divided into two portions. The upcoming DLC update, scheduled to begin on December 13, 2022, will only include the first part. Although the game's developers have not revealed any information about the second installment, players are still hopeful for Michael's debut.