GTA Online Gets Shotaro, No Announcement (Yet)

Finally that extra vehicle pack for bikers that every GTA Online fan has been waiting for has been added to the game (thus pushing Foreign City of the Week over to tomorrow). If you haven't seen mention of this on any of Rockstar's platforms, don't be surprised — at the time of writing the official announcement has not yet gone out.

The vehicle in question is the all new Nagasaki Shotaro, or as the community calls it, the "Tron-bike". True enough, the vehicle's design takes many cues from the light-cycles featured in one of the most iconic Sci-Fi movies of the 80's — and one of the most disappointing reboots of the 10's (It did have a neat soundtrack though).

In Tron, the light-cycles leave behind them a permanent energy-trail which acts as a wall. Competitions see four drivers placed in the arena for a last-man-standing battle. If you collide with any of the energy trails, you're out. The energy-trails of any competitor who crashes disappears with them.

While such a feature would have been more than interesting in GTA Online, it probably would have thrown balance to whack across the board, which is why the Nagasaki Shotaro does not emit an energy trail. That said, the Tron aesthetic is still all there.

Interestingly enough, the Shotaro is tied to an unlock requirement, which is why you won't immediately see it in the stores if you log on. The bike was released alongside an all new Adversary Mode called Deadline — which is basically exactly the same as the light-cycle duels in Tron.

There are four players in a small arena, placed on Shotaros, wearing the new Tron-inspired outfits. This time, the energy trails of the Shotaros are active, however they only extend to a certain length, after which the end disappears and the trail "follows" you. Playing the Adversary Mode is required to unlock the bike in regular gameplay, and for a limited time, the outfits as well.

There are a few neat things about the Shotaro to boot. The name is an easter-egg, a reference to the manga/anime "Akira", which also features a futuristic bike. The vehicle has bulletproof tires automatically, so you don't need to upgrade them, and the secondary neon colors glow in the dark. The Shotaro also has a unique engine turn-on sound.

Performance-wise, it has extremely high top speeds, though it cannot yet be verified if it is "the" fastest bike in the game currently, as reports vary. It's good in terms of handling, and overall works as a very neat vehicle.

However, unless you're massive Tron fan, or you really like the visuals, you might not end up buying one — the price of the Shotaro is GTA$2,225,000, making it the most expensive bike in the game — and the franchise as a whole. The bike can be bought from Legendary Motorsport, and the description reads as below:

Nagasaki's spaceflight division is responsible for some of the most stylish and combustible designs ever to crash into the Atlantic. So when the same team put together a motorcycle prototype, you can be sure it'll break rules, skulls and bank accounts from the minute it goes on sale.
Note: the production model has had all offensive and defensive capabilities decommissioned, including the energy trail.

The Shotaro has been highly anticipated by the community ever since word of its existence got out. This isn't the first extra vehicle Rockstar released since Bikers, as a mini expansion with two new bikes, the Sanctus for Halloween and most recently the Rat Rod were all added to GTA Online since.

Have you picked up a Shotaro? What do you think of it?