As much fun as players have had with Grand Theft Auto Online over the years, it’s still unfortunate that Rockstar Games never released any GTA 5 story DLC. However, it turns out that the studio was working on single-player content at one point, and Online’s success played a role in its cancellation.

Why didn’t Rockstar make GTA 5 story DLC?

Former Rockstar developer Joe Robino recently spoke with YouTuber StanInPlay about the canceled single-player add-on. As he explained, the studio was working on GTA Online, Red Dead Redemption 2, and the canceled GTA 5 story DLC simultaneously. According to Robino, the DLC project was about halfway done when Rockstar paused development to focus on Online. The multiplayer mode’s success eventually made it difficult to justify continuing to spend resources on new single-player content.

“It was really, really good,” Robino said about the canceled GTA 5 story DLC. “But when GTA Online came out it was so much of a cash cow, and people were loving it so much that it was hard to make an argument that a standalone DLC would outcompete that. I think, looking back now, you could probably do both. But that was a business decision they made. I was a little upset about that.”

“That actually was a lot of the reason for me being a little sour at that time,” he adds. “Because I was like, yo, WTF guys? This s—’s awesome. Let’s keep going. Let’s finish this s—.”

The silver lining is that Rockstar didn’t waste everything from the unfinished GTA 5 story DLC. Instead, Robino says that a lot of it eventually made its way into Online. However, it’s still interesting for fans to imagine what could have been.

The post GTA 5 Story DLC Was Scrapped in Favor of GTA Online appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Rockstar launched Grand Theft Auto Online’s Bottom Dollar Bounties expansion last week, adding a variety of new content. However, while fans were paying attention to the new cars and missions, developers added a sneaky GTA 6 easter egg in the form of a new cosmetic item.

What’s the GTA 6 Easter egg in GTA Online?

Bottom Dollar Bounties adds a piece of jewelry called the Silver Layered Necklace to GTA Online. However, as Reddit user DogWifDreads pointed out, it’s the exact same necklace worn by the bikini-clad woman, widely believed to be co-protagonist Lucia, at the rooftop pool in the GTA 6 trailer.

A few commenters tried to determine if the new item might contain hidden information about the upcoming game. “Considering all last digits [of the price] are 0, we could skip that, and we’ll have 4 digits, a possible date and month – for something,” one wrote. However, even they acknowledged that it could be nothing, and the easter egg probably doesn’t have any deeper meaning. It could, however, indicate that Rockstar will add more GTA 6 items to GTA Online.

In addition to this shiny easter egg, GTA Online’s Bottom Dollar Bounties update adds several law-enforcement-themed missions. Players can complete bounties for Bottom Dollar Bail Enforcement or help Vince with some off-the-books police work. The expansion also adds nine new vehicles to Rockstar’s online open world.

Meanwhile, Rockstar Games’ parent company plans to release Grand Theft Auto 6 in Fall 2025. The upcoming game features two protagonists, Luica and Jason, and takes players to the Miami-inspired Vice City.

The post GTA 6 Easter Egg Added to Grand Theft Auto Online appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The PlayStation Store’s Weekend Offer sale is going on now. PS4 and PS5 users can save big on games, bundles, and expansions, including a few major releases from last year.

PlayStation Sale includes Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Hogwarts Legacy, and more

The PlayStation Store’s Weekend Offer runs until March 18 and includes discounts of 75% and more. Among the AAA titles on offer are 2023’s Hogwarts Legacy: Digital Deluxe Edition and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – Deluxe Edition. The two games typically retail for $79.99 and $98.99, respectively. However, PlayStation fans can pick them up for only $39.99 and $35.99.

Other major deals include the Red Dead Redemption & Red Dead Redemption 2 bundle, down from $99.99 to $59.99. Meanwhile, the normally $99.99 Battlefield 2042: Elite Edition is only $24.99. Meanwhile, Marvel’s Midnight Suns: Digital+ Edition is only $19.99 on the PlayStation Store this weekend, down from $79.99. Racing fans can also grab Need for Speed: Unbound – Palace Edition for $11.99 instead of the usual $79.99.

PlayStation Weekend Offer

The following is a list of games included in the PlayStation Store’s current Weekend Offer. Note that several of these games have DLC and item bundles that are also on sale:

• Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey $9.99
• Back 4 Blood: Deluxe Edition $8.99
• Battlefield 2042 Elite Edition $24.99
• BioShock Remastered $7.99
• BioShock 2 Remastered $4.99
• BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition $7.99
• Borderlands 3 Next Level Bundle $10.49
• Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition $29.99
• Borderlands Legendary Collection $19.99
• Borderlands: The Handsome Collection $9.99
• Tales from the Borderlands $14.99
• New Tales from the Borderlands: Deluxe Edition $24.99
• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands: Next-Level Edition $17.49
• DIRT 5 Year One Edition $15.99
• Disintegration $9.89
• EA Sports PGA Tour: Deluxe Edition $16.99
• PGA TOUR 2K23 Deluxe Edition $24.99
• Gotham Knights: Deluxe Edition $17.99
• Grand Theft Auto Online $9.99
• Grand Theft Auto V ($19.79
• Hogwarts Legacy: Digital Deluxe Edition $39.99
• L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files $14.99
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Deluxe Edition $20.99
• Mafia II: Definitive Edition $9.89
• Mafia III: Definitive Edition $9.89
• Marvel’s Midnight Suns Digital+ Edition $19.99
• Need for Speed: Unbound Palace Edition $11.99
• OlliOlli World: Rad Edition $14.84
• Red Dead Redemption & Red Dead Redemption 2 Bundle $59.99
• Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate Edition $29.99
• Rollerdrome $9.89
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI Anthology $24.49
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Platinum Edition $12.49
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Deluxe Edition $35.99
• The Outer Worlds: Board-Approved Bundle $29.99
• The Quarry: Deluxe Edition $19.99
• Wild Hearts: Karakuri Edition $35.99

The post PlayStation Store Weekend Sale Now Live appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

GTA Online‘s success story is one for the history books. Both GTA V and its online component have broken records when it comes to sales and player base, which is something GTA Online’s design director admitted in a new interview that the team hadn’t even dreamed of.

No one thought GTA Online would be popular 10 years on

“When we started out, I don’t think we could have ever dreamed we’d still be going 10 years on,” Rockstar North design director Scott Butchard told GamesRadar. “The success of GTA Online is nothing we ever expected.”

GTA Online was a brand-new experiment for Rockstar Games, who had a history of producing single-player crime hits. Butchard says that when the team started working on the online game, which was originally packaged with GTA V, the developers were still “finding their feet.”

It was the heists that really helped GTA Online take off. 10 years later, its community is stronger than ever.

Butchard says Rockstar’s goal is to continue releasing free updates for players, making GTA Online accessible to everyone – whether playing solo or with a group of players. “It’s super important to us that players find new ways to connect with each other – whether through events we create or by us providing the tools for them to create their own moments,” he added.

The post GTA Online’s Success Surprised Its Own Devs appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Rockstar is reported to have been releasing a game mode called Cops ‘n’ Crooks for GTA Online and GTA V, but due to real-life events including the murder of George Floyd, the mode was quietly delayed indefinitely. The decision is part of efforts from the developer to clear up their own working conditions as well as the reputation of its beloved Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Why Cops ‘n’ Crooks will likely never be released

Cop ‘n’ Crooks was a game mode that was reported to be due for release for GTA Online and GTA V in the summer of 2020 according to Bloomberg. Players would be split into two teams, one of good guys and one of bad guys, although the actual aim of the mode beyond that is unknown. When the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer brought police behavior into the spotlight, the boundary between good guys and bad guys seemed to be blurring. As such, Rockstar decided to indefinitely delay the mode and there are currently no plans for it to be released.

This is just part of Rockstar’s attempts to clean up the public perception of their franchise. The PS5 version of Grand Theft Auto V removed transphobic jokes and offensive LGBTQ+ stereotypes, while GTA 6 is rumored to be getting a female protagonist for the first time in the franchise. The developer also doesn’t want to “‘punch down’ by making jokes about marginalized groups” either. Thoughts are that this will make GTA 6 feel like a different game from its predecessors, but only time will tell if this turns out to be true.

In other news, the latest Gran Turismo 7 update has added three more cars but not much else. Elsewhere, seven more Yakuza games will be making their way to Playstation Plus over the next few months.

The post GTA V Cops ‘n’ Crooks Mode Never Released Because of Real Life Events appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Yesterday, Rockstar Games announced its new GTA+ membership program for GTA Online, and it has gone down just as well as you’d expect. The premium membership is exclusive to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S players, who are guaranteed a monthly deposit of GTA$500,000 into their Maze Bank accounts alongside some other perks and bonuses for a monthly fee of $6.

What players are saying about GTA Online membership

One would be hard-pressed to find more than one or two positive responses to the announcement. Some players have suggested that GTA+ is an attempt to counter dwindling sales of Shark Cash Cards. Others have pointed out that the monthly deposit is too low to even consider forking out $6 a month and the rest of the membership bonuses are easily obtainable by playing. Then, there’s the Career Builder for new players so it makes little sense to have GTA+.

Introducing GTA+ for GTA Online.

A new membership program exclusively on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S — providing easy access to a range of valuable benefits for both new and long-standing players on the latest generation consoles.

Launching March 29: https://t.co/t9DyrLap1W pic.twitter.com/gz4UXzCfxf

— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) March 25, 2022

“Your players are also paying upfront for PSN and XBL, not to mention there’s still no dedicated servers in sight,” wrote Twitter user videotech_. “Be better.” “Guys, April Fools is in one week,” wrote another.

Interestingly, there’s a stark contrast between the discourse surrounding GTA Online and GTA V, and the latter’s sales. Just yesterday, Games Industry reported that GTA V de-seated Elden Ring in the UK digital sales charts following its PS5 and Xbox Series X/S launch, making this the third generation of gaming platforms that GTA V dominates.

In other news, a market analysis firm has said that PS5 supply issues are worse than anticipated, and Gran Turismo 7’s credit payouts are being fixed.

The post GTA Online Membership Announcement Results in Intense Criticism appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Next Tuesday, Rockstar will be launching a new premium membership program for GTA Online. GTA+ is exclusive to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and will give players a monthly deposit of GTA$ into their account, as well as the opportunity to experience previous game updates, special vehicles, and other bonuses.

What benefits does GTA+ give PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players?

Every month, GTA+ members will get GTA$500,000 deposited into their Maze Bank account, as well as other GTA$ and RP bonuses. The PlayStation Store will also carry special GTA+ Shark Cards. There will be exclusive vehicle upgrades, Member-only discounts in stores, and the chance to claim properties around Los Santos that previously unlocked gameplay updates. For example, those who subscribe to GTA+ for the first month of March 29 to April 27 will receive:

• GTA$500,000 delivered automatically to your Maze Bank Account.
• The Principe Deveste Eight — along with a complimentary Hao’s Special Works upgrade for it before it is made available to purchase by the general public — plus the HSW Orange Trip and HSW CMYK Glitch Liveries.
• The Auto Shop located in La Mesa, introduces an assortment of gameplay updates from Los Santos Tuners. Current Auto Shop owners can relocate to La Mesa at no additional cost.
• Waived LS Car Meet Membership fees. Current LS Car Meet members with GTA+ will be reimbursed GTA$50,000 during this event period.
• Yacht owners can upgrade to the Aquarius Super Yacht at no additional cost.
• The Gussét Frog Tee and Broker Prolaps Basketball Top and Shorts automatically added to your wardrobe.
• The Conveyor Livery for the Mammoth Avenger, HVY APC, and TM-02 Khanjali.
• A selection of free paints and emblems for the Auto Shop.
• 3X GTA$ and RP on Hao’s Special Works Race Series.
• 2X Car Meet Rep on the Street Race Series.

All of these benefits will come alongside the regular GTA Online events that will continue for players who choose not to take out a GTA+ membership. There will be different exclusive rewards every month that can be found at Legendary Motorsport, Hao’s Special Works, Maze Bank Foreclosures, DockTease, and other stores on the GTA Online web browser. Membership will cost $5.99 per month, although players can cancel their subscription at any time.

In other news, Sony’s much-rumored Project Spartacus is expected to be unveiled next week. Elsewhere, the latest Elden Ring patch seems to have introduced a bug where players can use Carian Retaliation to break PvP mode.

The post GTA+ is PS5 and Xbox Series Exclusive Membership for GTA Online appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

With many players expected to jump into GTA Online during its free period, Rockstar has allowed players to transfer their PS4 progress to the PS5 version ahead of time. The only problem was that the migration process wasn’t working for players who have previously migrated their characters to PC. The good news is Rockstar has managed to fix the GTA Online migration issues for PS5 and those players should now be able to migrate their profiles.

Who can transfer their GTA Online profile to PS5?

All PS4 and Xbox One players can migrate their profiles to GTA Online on PS5 with a one-time migration process. This process can be carried out right now by heading to GTA 5 on PS4/Xbox One and going to the Game tab of the Pause Menu. Here there is an option to upload a save game to the Rockstar Games Social Club and this must be downloaded to PS5 within 90 days of uploading to the Social Club. Be aware that once migration is complete, all GTA Online progress will have been removed from PS4/Xbox One and can only be used on PS5. This includes all Characters, GTA$, Progression, Stats, Vehicles, Properties, Weapons, Clothing, and Player-Created Jobs.

PC players players cannot migrate their profile to PS5. This unintentionally led to a problem where PS4 players who had previously migrated their accounts to PC could not then migrate them to PS5. Rockstar has now confirmed “the issue blocking GTA Online profile migration of PS4 and Xbox One accounts that were previously migrated to PC has been addressed, and that migration is now working as intended.” Those who had previously faced the migration issues with GTA Online should now try again.

In other news, Otherside Entertainment has confirmed the team hasn’t worked on System Shock 3 since 2019. With the franchise now in the hands of Tencent, it’s unlikely the game will ever see the light of day. Elsewhere, EA Seattle is currently hiring for a new AAA third-person open world RPG.

The post Rockstar Fixes GTA Online Character Migration Issues for PS5 Players appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

When Grand Theft Auto 5 is released on PS5 on March 15, the game will come with an introductory launch sale that will see it discounted by approximately 50% on the PlayStation Store for the first three months of its release. The game will go back to normal price in June.

How does the GTA V PS5 deal work?

When Grand Theft Auto V is released on PS5, it will be added to the PlayStation Store alongside the standalone version of GTA Online. The latter is being offered for free to all PlayStation 5 players until June 14. While GTA Online is free, GTA V is being reduced by around 50%, although the actual deal varies by region. While players will be purchasing the entire game, including the multiplayer content, the deal is to account for PS5 players only needing to pay for the single-player content.

While the pre-order page is yet to go live in many regions, this means the game has been reduced to $14.99 in Australia. According to PlayStation Game Size, this will convert to $19.99 in the US and £17.99 in the UK. On June 14, GTA Online will no longer be free and GTA V will revert back to its normal price of €39.99/£34.99/AU$59.95. A US price is yet to be confirmed. There will not be a discounted upgrade option for those who already own the PS4 version of the game.

In other news, Luminous Productions and Square Enix have delayed their upcoming PS5 console exclusive Forspoken by five months. The game will no longer be released in May, instead now releasing in October in time for the holiday season. Elsewhere, the much-rumored PlayStation State of Play March 2022 presentation was supposedly due to take place this week but has been delayed because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The show is still expected to take place this month, though.

The post Grand Theft Auto 5 PS5 Introductory Deal Makes the Game Very Cheap appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The first new story content for GTA Online, The Contract, will be arriving next week. The Contract will take place five years after the events of the Grand Theft Auto V campaign. By this time, Franklin Clinton has formed his own “celebrity solutions agency” and his first client happens to be none other than Dr. Dre, who has some new music he’ll be sharing with players.

Franklin has founded F. Clinton and Partner, a company that aims to solve the problems of the Vinewood celebrities. The thing is he can’t go it alone, and that’s where you come in. You’re introduced to Franklin by newly aspiring cannabis entrepreneur Lamar Davis and become Franklin’s new business partner. The one thing the business really needs, though, is a high-profile client.

While travelling to Cayo Perico last year, Dr. Dre lost his phone. The problem is it contains new, unreleased music from Dr. Dre and the phone has now found its way into the wrong hands. After DJ Pooh reaches out to Franklin about his friend’s problem, it becomes the big-ticket job the business needs. To journey to recover the tracks will head through many unexpected places,from the streets of Franklin’s old neighborhood to the offices of the FIB. You’ll need help, though, and this means you’ll be needing the services of expert hacker Imani, Chop the Dog, and the rest of the crew.

Not only will The Contract bring the new story content, it will also add a new radio station with “some very special guest hosts” and “huge first-of-their-kind” updates to the existing radio stations. This includes the aforementioned unreleased tracks from Dr. Dre and other artists. Once Dr. Dre’s issue is solved, there will be more work to take on through the agency. New weapons will include the Compact EMP Launcher and the Stun Gun, while there’ll also be new Enus Jubilee and Dewbauchee Champion vehicles.

The Contract will be arriving on December 15. Rockstar has promised more information “in the coming days”.

[Source: Rockstar Newswire]

The post New GTA Online Story ‘The Contract’ Features Franklin Clinton and His New Best Friend Dr. Dre appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.