GTA Online Paid Subscription: Essential Features Restricted

A recent Grand Theft Auto Online update has sparked controversy by restricting remote passive income collection from owned businesses to GTA+ subscribers only. The Bottom Dollar Bounties DLC, released June 25th, introduced a bounty hunting business and other additions, but also this controversial change.

Rockstar Games has consistently expanded GTA Online with content updates since 2013, introducing various purchasable businesses generating passive income. Previously, players had to manually collect these earnings from each location, a time-consuming process for relatively small rewards.

The Bottom Dollar Bounties update introduced a convenient in-game Vinewood Club app feature allowing GTA+ members to remotely collect business profits. Non-subscribers, however, lack this quality-of-life improvement.

This decision contradicts Rockstar's earlier assurances that gameplay features wouldn't be exclusive to GTA+ subscribers. Negative player sentiment, amplified by a recent GTA+ price increase, has intensified with this latest restriction. Concerns are rising that Rockstar might repeat this practice in future updates to bolster GTA+'s value.

This situation raises concerns about the future of Rockstar's upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6, slated for a fall 2025 release. While details on GTA 6's online component remain scarce, the current trajectory of GTA Online suggests a potential, and possibly expanded, role for GTA+ in the sequel. The reception to this subscription service will undoubtedly shape its future prospects and impact the overall player experience.