Finance and Felony is possibly one of our strongest candidates, even though it is likely the most divisive. The initial investment required to get in on crate missions is pretty high, which was off-putting for many players. That said, once the black market business warms up, it is pretty much the best way to make cash in the game right now. Special Cargo spices things up occasionally by giving players large bonuses in the case of success. Notably, the update also introduced the Weapon Locker, which finally solved the game's weapon inventory issue, even if just partially.
Cunning Stunts is pretty much the craziest GTA Online DLC of them all and the most deviant. Instead of focusing on criminal activities and being grounded in reality, this update instead shifted the focus to unrealistic but flashy stunt races filled with deathtraps and massive jumps. The update introduced the all-new Stunt Race jobs, which are separate from regular races.
Adding an absolutely massive number of vehicles, only to be expanded with post-launch bonus updates, Cunning Stunts really strained the garages of car collectors, who were already struggling with having to get rid of older rides. The races themselves were pretty insane, with most of them being suspended hundreds of feet in the air with nothing but the sheer power if imagination.
Cunning Stunts was thought to have marked a change in the direction GTA Online will take in the future, namely that the game will shed the restrictions of being grounded in reality for a less realistic but more entertaining directive. This didn't actually happen, but Cunning Stunts did end up being pretty much the most loved update of the year and has a good chance of grabbing this award.
This was the DLC everyone was waiting for. Years of pleading and hoping paid off this year when possibly catalyzed by a popular petition, Rockstar finally added a biker themed update to GTA Online. Not only were a host of biker clothing items added to the game alongside more than a dozen new bikes, but players could now join or found their own clubs, complete with new clubhouses that doubled as an HQ and a 10 bike garage.
The update also added a number of clandestine businesses for players to run in order to generate some passive income. Though they were kind of difficult to get a hang of at first, once players learned the intricacies of the businesses, these were a great way of making decent amounts of cash with relatively little effort required.
Yes, we know this was just an expansion for Bikers, but freaking light cycle battles from Tron. I'm not even sure anymore how many times I typed that phrase since the release of the Nagasaki Shotaro, which is a pretty decent replica of the iconic vehicles from Tron.
Not only is the Shotaro the best bike in the game, it's also the vehicle you use in the Deadline Adversary Mode, which makes a pretty good job of porting the concept of the light cycle battles to GTA Online's structure. Deadline also turned out to pay pretty well, especially for an Adversary Mode. Deadline ended up being one of the most loved updates, in spite of being a minor one.
This year's latest update, Import/Export, ruffled quite a few feathers. While as a DLC, it packed a whole lot of content, including a few bits that are universally liked — such as the massive 60 slot executive garage — it caused some tension to bubble to the surface.
Import/Export sought to return to the roots of GTA but making the stealing of cars the main game mechanic again. It also added a bunch of special vehicles, including amphibious cars, a Voltic with a jet-engine strapped to it, a post-apocalyptic camper, a wedge-car and an intelligent vehicle based on KITT from Knight Rider.
In terms of content, Import/Export is all there. It's the prices where things get a bit wonky. Even Finance and Felony got a bit controversial due to the high initial investment, but Import/Export eclipses it by much, and the learning curve of the new mechanic is much steeper. Many players found themselves dumping millions into the new content, only to make back pocket change with the actual missions. That said, if done right, import and export missions become just as lucrative as running crates, if not more.
The poll is open! Which is your favorite GTA Online DLC from 2016?
