GTA Online's recent Cunning Stunts update added a lot more to the game than a few tracks comprised of tubes colored after the American flag. Between the smaller updates and the main DLC, the game has been expanded with over 20 new vehicles and Stunt Race tracks each. The recent release of the Stunt Race Creator has also caused a boom in the number of stunt races available to players.

However, Stunt Races weren't the only new mode added to the game wherein experienced drivers could compete against one another. Premium Races, a new twist on the standard racing formula, were also introduced, giving the best and bravest racers a chance for fame and thrill.

Premium Races have an entry fee of 20K in GTA $ and are tracks selected from the pool of official Rockstar created race courses. They are only available for a limited time and are cycled, so no two tracks will come up consecutively. But what is all this pomp and hefty entry fee about?

Well, the whole point of Premium Races is that only the players finishing in first place gets a money reward. Finishing first place will net you 100k in GTA $, while coming second or worse will win you nothing, except for the triple RP reward that all participants receive.

Until two days ago, at least. In a Facebook post, Rockstar Games announced a new reward system for Premium Races. There have been no announcements about this change on the Newswire and it doesn't seem that anything else has changed in the game.

The new adjustment works so that not only first, but second and third placers also get money rewards, though smaller ones compared to first. The 100k reward for gold medals has remained unchanged. Second place receives 30k, making a 10k profit, while third place is rewarded with 20k, meaning they don't pull a loss from entering.

While some think that this kind of defeats the whole point of "Premium" Races, others believe this is a good way of enticing less confident players to try themselves out at during these competitions. Since it is notoriously hard to gain cash in GTA Online unless you're being smart about it, the hefty price tag coupled with a high risk made Premium Races unpopular outside the hardcore racing demographic.

How do you feel about the change to GTA Online's Premium Races? Do you welcome them, or think they ruin the concept?