If you’ve been playing GTA Online for a little while now, you might be familiar with the basics but there’s so much more hidden under the surface. The game has come a long way since its 2013 launch, adding new businesses, heists, vehicles, and other improvements that make Los Santos more accessible than ever.
Whether you’re fairly new to the game or returning to GTA Online in anticipation of the GTA 6 release date, there are plenty of mechanics, shortcuts, and money-saving tricks that Rockstar barely mentions. Here are 15 things that you might not know about GTA Online.
You can run most businesses in invite-only sessions
In its initial years, you could only make money from activities in public lobbies. This forced players to deal with griefers and ran the risk of random attacks, but this is no longer the case. Many businesses, including the Acid Lab, Bunker, Agency, and Nightclub, can be managed entirely in invite-only sessions. If you’re a solo player or just want a more relaxed experience, you can make your millions in peace this way.
Making your first million is more important than getting your first supercar
The dream is logging into GTA Online, jumping into a flashy car, and blitzing around the map. Don’t do that. Filling your garage with exotic cars can come later. Invest your first million dollars in a profitable business, and watch your balance multiply faster down the line.
Snacks are basically health packs
While GTA Online briefly introduces snacks, it doesn’t reiterate their importance down the line. All experienced players are stocked up on snacks at all times since they give an instant burst of healing during combat. They can be the difference between completing a difficult mission and being forced to reload a checkpoint.
Focus on passive income
If you’re a new player, you’re probably surviving solely on income from missions. While missions are important and definitely fun, the richest players in GTA Online have established a reliable passive income stream. Invest in something like the Acid Lab, Nightclub, or Bunker, and they’ll continue to generate profit while you’re doing other activities, allowing for a valuable income boost.
The Oppressor Mk II is worth the grind
The Oppressor Mk II is an expensive end-game hover vehicle. While the barriers to obtaining it are pretty high, its value comes in dramatically reducing the time it takes to traverse the map. It’s even got homing missiles to handle any unexpected PvP situations that pop up. It’ll set you back a cool $8 million via Warstock Cache and Carry, but it’s worth it.
You don’t need to play GTA Online with friends
While the multiplayer aspect of GTA Online can be fun, and it’s true that certain activities benefit from teamwork, you can complete a large portion of GTA Online solo if you want to. Many businesses, contracts, missions, and activities are designed with solo players in mind. Don’t avoid GTA Online because you don’t have a regular group of friends to log on with.
Don’t ignore the weekly bonuses
Sure, Rockstar is pretty good at advertising its weekly bonuses, but don’t forget to complete them. Every week, payouts are boosted for specific activities, and those bonuses can completely change your personal economy. An activity that pays average rewards one week might become one of the best money-making opportunities the next week. Check which activities currently offer double or triple rewards when you next log in.
Armored vehicles are better than fast cars
If you’re looking for survivability, armored vehicles are the way to go. While supercars are good at winning races, unless that’s all you’re focusing on then turn your attention to armored vehicles. The Armored Kuruma is one of the most popular vehicles in the game for a reason, and it’ll help to make PvE content dramatically easier.
Don’t think of the nightclub as a nightclub
We all have an image of a nightclub in our minds as soon as the word comes up, but don’t think about it as a place for dancing, drinking, and making friends. Instead, use it as a central warehouse for your other businesses. It’ll safely store cash and bring in resources from your other businesses while you barely need to think about it. In that way, it’s more like the nightclub in The Sopranos–it’s your office.
There are lots of freebies, actually
While GTA Online does focus on making money, and making it fast, there are lots of useful free services dotted around Los Santos. Head to the ammunition stores, clothing shops, vehicle customization garages, property access points, and mission hubs to see what you can get.
Secondly, checking updates, events, and challenges can get you some freebies. The Duke O’Death can be a reward for returning players on some platforms, and if you link a Rockstar Social Club account, you’ll get the Elegy RH8. Completing missions and collectibles will get you the Navy Revolver, Double-Action Revolver, Stone Hatchet, and more.
Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack owners get a free bunker, office, clubhouse, and more. Some event weeks offer free or heavily discounted properties, too.
You can get free GTA$ from daily objectives, treasure hunts, collectibles, weekly challenges, career progress rewards, promotional bonuses, and seasonal event rewards. As a brand-new player, the treasure hunts can earn you hundreds of thousands of GTA$.
You can refill your snacks and armor from the Agency snack bar, Arcade snack bowl, Kosatka gallery, and Auto Shop for free.
Ranking up isn’t pointless
Higher ranks unlock new weapons, equipment, vehicle upgrades, and other features, so focus on your level where possible. You might have access to better tools with a higher rank but lower bank balance.
Insurance is everything
Yes, it’s fun to grief other players and shoot a rocket launcher into their expensive supercar, but if it’s insured it’ll cost you. Likewise, losing your own uninsured vehicle can be an expensive lesson. Pay attention to insurance before taking any risks.
Similarly, taking a low-value civilian car off the street to your garage and insuring it will imply ownership. Sorry, random NPC.
Don’t be afraid to call for help
There are a multitude of NPCs in your phone waiting to offer you help. Try calling for a vehicle delivery, ammunition, transportation, mission support, or for removing wanted levels. They’ll make some tricky situations easier to handle.
The fastest route isn’t always the best
If you’re looking for the best GTA Online money method, you might be focused on the amount of profit you can make per hour. That might not be the most fun way though, and burning yourself out via the maximum efficiency methods can suck the fun out of the game. Instead, choose activities that you enjoy that are also profitable. The Cluckin’ Bell Farm Raid series of missions is a fun yet worthwhile activity, for example.
There’s not that much Grand Theft Auto in GTA online
Sure, you can steal civilians’ cars and make them your own, and of course there’s a lot of other crime such as robbing banks and completing other heists, but it’s actually more like a management simulator if you’re doing it right. The richest players aren’t constantly pulling off heists, they’re managing businesses and optimizing their income streams. If you want a garage packed full of supercars, you’d do the same.
While it may have evolved into a massive multiplayer experience with deep levels, Rockstar expects players to figure that out for themselves pretty much. Once you understand these hidden systems and the best ways to spend your time, you’ll be gloating with the game’s richest.
