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 various GTA Online businesses (nightclubs, arcades, etc.) – is exclusively available to GTA+ members via the Vinewood Club app.
Since GTA 5's 2013 release, Rockstar Games has consistently added purchasable businesses to GTA Online. Manually collecting income from these businesses has always been a tedious process. The Bottom Dollar Bounties update offered a solution, but only for paying subscribers. Non-GTA+ players are locked out of this convenient feature.
This decision contradicts Rockstar's previous assurances that gameplay features wouldn't be exclusive to GTA+ subscribers. The already mixed reception to GTA+, exacerbated by a recent price increase, has now soured further. Many players fear this sets a precedent for future updates, potentially making GTA+ essential for a complete gameplay experience.
The implications extend beyond GTA 5. With GTA 6's confirmed release in Fall 2025, concerns arise about the potential role of GTA+ in its online component. Rockstar's current approach to GTA+ suggests a possible, and potentially larger, presence in the upcoming game's online mode. The future success of GTA+ hinges on how players react to these increasingly exclusive features.
