Having crossed into the second half of December, the time for reflection has come around. GTA Online has received its final major update for the year, Import/Export, and other than a presumably small-scale Christmas event, not much will happen in the game before 2017 comes around.
2016 was a year of change for GTA Online, with many new updates changing things up and adding to the game in countless ways. The multiplayer mode of Rockstar's epic and insanely popular open world title looks a lot different now than it did a year ago, and overall it must be said that things changed for the better.
With so many things having happened, and not all of them simply being DLC releases, it's easy to forget about all of the positive changes that came to GTA Online. We've put together a list of the best things that happened to the game this past year to put things in perspective — and keep in mind that not all positive things even made the list.
Rockstar Settled For A DLC Model
After Further Adventures in Finance and Felony, Cunning Stunts and Bikers all followed the same setup of post-launch expansions, it's safe to say that Rockstar has settled with what will be the permanent DLC release model for GTA Online going forward. In each case, a major update is released bringing a large number of new vehicles and weapons as well as a new game mechanic. In the following weeks, smaller updates each adding one or two vehicles, and maybe an Adversary Mode, would expand on the same concept, staying in the same theme. We saw this in the post-release vehicles of Finance and Felony, such as the X80, with the various new cars added to Cunning Stunts culminating in the Stunt Race Creator, and finally in the case of Bikers with things like the Sanctus.
Why is this good: For Rockstar, this makes planning easier, that much is clear. However, this benefits the players by giving us a good idea of what to expect in terms of future DLC.
GTA 5 Sells 70 Million Copies
Grand Theft Auto 5 became a hit the moment it was released, returning investment within hours of launch and turning a $1 billion profit within a day — but that was hardly the extent of its success. Over the years, the game defied all standard models of distribution and sales known to the AAA industry, as it only picked up speed instead of slowing down. Sure, the launch-peak was never recreated, however following the sharp decline in sales immediately after release, the rate of sales has only ever increased, and still is. We've fleshed out the reasons for GTA 5's success time and again, and it always comes down to mainstream recognition, a hearty marketing budget and the staggered release schedule on multiple platforms. This year saw the crossing of the 70 million shipped physical copies mark — and that does not include any digital sales.
Why is this good: Players benefit from the continued success of GTA Online because this ensures continued support. Rockstar will keep bringing DLC to Online so long as it is popular and turns a profit — and so far, it's doing just that.
Character Appearance Can Finally Be Changed
While this feature is a part of the Import/Export DLC, it's significant enough to warrant its own mention. Players have been clamoring for this feature to be added to GTA Online pretty much since launch, and various assets discovered in the game files of the PC version suggest it was initially intended to be in the game from the very beginning. In lieu of it, for a long time players could change the appearance of their characters by contacting Rockstar Support, however this ceased some time ago. Now, finally, players can opt to pay the fee of $100,000 in order to undergo plastic surgery in the game, allowing them to alter their appearance as many times as they want, so long as they have the cash for it.
Why this is good: It's pretty self-explanatory, really. If you want to change your character's face and have the cash to do it, you can.
