Once more, the online gaming community playing Grand Theft Auto (GTA) Online has voiced their discontent towards Rockstar Games following the controversial removal of nearly 200 in-game vehicles, with some players seriously considering switching to other games.
Rockstar Games, though eagerly anticipated for the release of GTA 6, have been diligently updating GTA Online, the multiplayer component of GTA 5, which has been around for nearly a decade. A steady stream of updates have been pouring into the game over the past few months.
The latest of these updates, namely the Los Santos Mercenaries and Los Santos Drug Wars, introduced a range of new vehicles to the game, but not without a significant drawback.
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Rockstar had made the decision to eliminate 195 cars from in-game dealerships back in early June to pave the way for improved gameplay, additional updates, and fresh vehicles. Despite these cars being older models, their removal meant that they were no longer available for new players to acquire. Understandably, the fanbase reacted with fury, especially considering the replacements by Rockstar did not equate to the number of removed vehicles.
Further complicating the situation, a glitch involving car insurance led to players losing numerous vehicles after deletion, resulting in many labelling the game “unplayable” and subsequently putting it aside.
Rockstar did address this issue, compensating many players for their losses. Nevertheless, a considerable number of players are keeping their distance. One Reddit user, AwsomEmils, expressed, “Rockstar has made a number of mistakes with GTA Online, but this somehow feels like the worst. Since the update, I have no desire to play the game, even if the new content seems enticing.”
These sentiments sparked a cascade of similar reactions. Some players stated their perception of Rockstar’s indifference towards their player base, while others shared they haven’t engaged with the game for weeks, focusing on other games instead. One even mentioned ending their 10-year playing streak.
On the other hand, a subset of the player base expressed their disagreement, stating that while the vehicle removal is a disappointment, it doesn’t impact the main gameplay.
One player commented, “I already owned all the cars I wanted, so it didn’t really affect me. However, it’s still an awful decision.”
Meanwhile, Rockstar has been gradually adding new vehicles to the game, albeit at a leisurely pace.