GTA Online Beginner Players Guide 2025

The new update took the CEO thing to the next level, giving players lavish corporate offices to buy and warehouses to stock full of illegal goods. For months after this update was released, the crate-selling mechanic reigned supreme as the number one money making method in GTA Online, and some players swear by it even today.

The biggest draw of the update was the black market mechanic. Players had to buy offices and at least one warehouse for this. Then, they would do Buy missions where they needed to collect goods and deliver them to the warehouse. Here, they could select buyers, and then initiate a Sell mission where they made profit on their investment, provided they succeeded.

This took the rivalry between the well-mannered players and the griefers to a whole new level, as the latter now had a relatively easy means of swiftly erasing millions in in-game currency by destroying the investment of the former. The shit-flinging persists even today.

Cunning Stunts

After Finance and Felony, Rockstar decided to throw the status quo in many ways. Cunning Stunts was unlike any DLC GTA Online had seen before, and it was also among the most loved. The focus this time was on racing, but a new kind of racing. The new stunt tracks would be whacky death-traps in race course form, filled with furnaces, massive jumps, loops and entire sections floating above skyscrapers. Not exactly rooted in reality, but hey, it was fun as hell.

Bikers DLC

Following Cunning Stunts was a long awaited answer to the longest requested update by the community. Bikers put motorcycle clubs in the spotlight. The DLC added a host of new bikes and clothes to GTA Online, as well as an MC mechanic where you could found your own club.

A new gameplay mechanic in the shape of Businesses was introduced, which brought the first instance of semi-passive income to GTA Online. You can read all about how to use the system most effectively here. A number of other neat missions, like Clubhouse Contracts, were also added.

Import / Export

Later, Rockstar graced the community with an update that was somewhat derided at first, but once the players learned how to properly use the system, it arose as the single most effective and efficient way to make cash in the game: Import/Export. A new chapter in the on-going CEO saga, Import/Export once again placed the focus on the stealing of cars — like, you know, the name of the entire franchise suggests.

Basically, you'd do source missions where you steal a specific car, take it to your vehicle garage, fix it up, repaint it, and then deliver to the seller. Naturally, your objective was to sustain as little damage as possible, however the NPCs — and even the PEDs — would make that difficult. That said, there are some neat ways to do import missions in order to maximize profits.

Import/Export also introduced special vehicles, such as a ramp-buggy, a semi-truck with a massive car-plow welded to its front, amphibious quads, sports cars with jet engines strapped to their rear and literally KITT from Knight Rider. Incidentally, these vehicles will be featured in an upcoming update that will mix them with Cunning Stunt's courses.

Gunrunning

Settling into the comfort of the successful business-based DLC model, where each major update introduced a new property needed to unlock the missions, a new type of illicit product and new sell missions. Gunrunning moved the action from the office to a bunker where your character develops new weapons and sells them on the black market.

The introduction of Mk.II weapons kicked up the previous PvP balance with new, powerful guns entering the fray, and weaponized vehicles made free-roaming even more chaotic. These powerful new rides all have associated missions, allowing you to earn a discount on their purchase price.

Mobile Operations Centers are another big addition, allowing you to take your business on the road with a huge armored trailer housing your secret base. The MOC also has its own missions as well as a huge selection of upgrades and customization options.

Speaking of customization options, your dreams of turning your character into a military cosplayer could be realized with all the new "tacticool" clothing items.

Smuggler's Run

Another take on the now-standard business gameplay loop, Smuggler's Run let Rockstar popularize aerial vehicles and renew a trademark all in one fell swoop. Bunkers are Hangars, guns are miscellaneous illegal items, and the featured vehicles are all planes.

Flying was previously mostly happening in the background, unless you count the incessant Hydra griefers. This DLC... sort of succeeded in bringing it more to the forefront but that wasn't very long-lived. Hangar Sell Missions are still among the more lucrative activities in the game, though, and plenty of slick planes were added to the game thanks to this update.

Transform Races

How about Cunning Stunts, but even crazier? The basic mentality of Transform Races sums it up nicely. It's stunt races all over again, but this time with vehicles being swapped out mid-race. You'd drive a car, a plane and a bike all in one lap. Like other racing modes, it eventually received its own Creator. Also like other racing modes, it didn't really leave a mark.

The Doomsday Heist

It only took 2 years, but to close off 2017 Rockstar added new Heists to GTA Online. The Doomsday Heist sought to solve the game's endgame problem in so far as it didn't have one. By this time, the original Heists weren't too hot anymore and players were hungry for more. In this update, you'd take up residence in a secret mountain fortress and save the world.

GTA Online protagonists may not be your typical hero, but global annihilation isn't profitable. After you bought your Facility, you'd gain access to some proper narrative content in Online. Other additions included the Avenger, which is basically a flying MOC, 10 additional outfit slots and a massive hoard of vehicles.

The Doomsday Heist briefly became the most profitable activity in the game and has effectively deposed the original Heists among more advanced players. It also introduced a ridiculously expensive orbital laser which lets you shoot an insta-kill beam anywhere on the map. Fun times.

Also, Jetpacks.

Southern San Andreas Super Sport Series

Another racing-oriented update, SSASSS makes up for its extravagant title by having relatively tame content. There are no stunts or transformations here, only classic circuit racing with a bunch of new cars.

After Hours

After Hours was a huge deal when it came out, and still exerts lasting effects on how the game is played. You can buy your own Nightclub — with a cameo from fan-favorite Gay Tony — which is both a passive source of income and a new centralized base of operations for all of your businesses. Previously you could only manage your CEO, Import/Export, Gunrunning, Smuggler's Run and Bikers businesses from each respective property.

Now, you still need to own these, but can access all of your systems from the nightclub. Additionally, the nightclub warehouse boosts your profits massively thanks to technicians who create product for your warehouse of choice automatically and for free. If you kept your club popular, it would grant you some free pocket money too.

A bunch of new vehicles were added as well, including the extremely useful and extremely annoying Oppressor Mk.II, which replaced the Hydra as the go-to griefer vehicle. However, it also became an essential tool for making the most cash in the least amount of time, so we'll forgive it.

Arena War

Arena War is all about spectacle, inviting players to the Maze Bank Arena for gratuitous carnage. Across 7 game modes, players have to compete with each other to complete arena-based objectives while destroying each other and causing mayhem in general.

The career progression system lets you track how you're doing, and 12 vehicles that somehow manage to be even more over the top than anything before let you bring some of that arena violence out into Freemode.

The RC Bandito was also added to the game with this update. A small remote-controlled vehicle, the Bandito can be used to deliver explosives right to the feet of your enemies or to compete with in special races.

Diamond Casino & Casino Heist

After all these years, all the rumors and fake leaks, the Casino is finally open in GTA Online. First launched as the Diamond Casino & Resort DLC, players could buy penthouses at the Casino, gamble, spin the lucky wheel and engage in an all-new storyline where you'd work with the management to prevent a hostile company from taking over.

Alongside the story missions there are smaller casino jobs and a new collectible, but the story was the focus — specifically because you failed. This set up the next DLC, the Casino Heist. Now that the Diamond is in the hands of your enemies, robbing the place is on the menu.

Further refining the Heist gameplay formula, the Casino Heist offers an exciting challenge for experienced players as well as fantastic rewards. Players can purchase their own Arcade business with technically is a legitimate establishment, but you use the basement to plan out this heist to end all heists.

Open Wheel Races

Continuing the pattern of breaking up major releases with a smaller, racing themed update, Open Wheel Races brought Formula 1 racing to GTA Online, making everyone question how the hell this didn't happen sooner. Only 2 actual F1 cars were added to the game though, and we're still waiting on more.

Gerald's Last Play

A relatively unambitious update, Gerald's Last Play added 6 new Contact Missions to GTA Online. Players would team up with Gerald to secure his grip on the Los Santos underground and maintain the supremacy of the Families. This content is pretty accessible to newer players as well.

Mini-DLC

In between all of these updates, Rockstar released a whole lot of mini-DLCs, which usually included just a single vehicle, or sometimes a vehicle and an Adversary Mode. In the recent months, Rockstar really stepped up their Adversary Mode game and produced some really great modes like Sumo, Power Play and above all else, Deadline, which is basically the light-cycle battles from Tron. Oh, and you can buy an actual light-cycle.

With all the new players flocking to GTA Online month after month, showing no signs of slowing down, we'll be keeping this guide up to date with all the updates being released. No matter when you decide to enter the fray, you can rely on this post to help you out.