GTA Online Update Hides Features Behind Paywall

Grand Theft Auto Online's latest update sparks controversy by restricting remote business income collection to GTA+ subscribers. The recent Bottom Dollar Bounties DLC, released June 25th, introduced a bounty hunting business, new missions, vehicles, and more. However, a significant quality-of-life improvement – the ability to remotely collect passive income from owned businesses – is locked behind the GTA+ paywall.

Since GTA 5's 2013 launch, Rockstar Games has consistently added purchasable businesses to GTA Online. While these businesses generate passive income, manually collecting it from each location is time-consuming. The Bottom Dollar Bounties update offered a solution: GTA+ subscribers can now conveniently collect this income via the Vinewood Club app. Non-subscribers, however, are excluded from this convenience.

This decision contradicts Rockstar's earlier assurances that gameplay features wouldn't be exclusive to GTA+ subscribers. The already controversial service, recently facing criticism after a price increase, now faces further backlash. This move fuels concerns that Rockstar might increasingly lock quality-of-life features behind the subscription to boost its appeal, setting a worrying precedent.

The implications extend beyond GTA 5. With GTA 6's confirmed 2025 release, the future of GTA+ remains uncertain. Rockstar hasn't detailed GTA 6's online component, but the current trajectory of GTA Online suggests GTA+ could play an even more significant role. The reception to this potential expansion remains to be seen, but current player sentiment towards the subscription service casts doubt on its future success.