The weekly reset has landed in GTA Online, and the month-long Halloween celebration is still going. This week brings back familiar scares, adds new Kortz Center Heist targets, and rotates the usual vehicles, bonuses and discounts. Everything below is live from October 8th through October 14th.

Halloween Rewards

Several Halloween payouts are available, some with deadlines past this week:

• Twilight Knife T-Shirt: Free from in-game clothing stores. Rockstar's listing gives October 7th as the end date, so check in-game whether it's still claimable.

• Payphone Hits: Complete five through October 14th for GTA$500,000, paid within 72 hours.

• Weekly Challenges: Complete every one through November 4th for GTA$2,000,000, also paid within 72 hours.

• GTA+ Members: Can claim a free Pegassi Oppressor with the Skulls livery, plus extra Halloween perks.

Halloween Content Returns

The seasonal activities are all back, so collectors and thrill-seekers have plenty to do:

• Slashers and Clone Slasher

• Phantom Car

• Cerberus Surprise

• Possessed Animals

• Ghosts Exposed

• Jack O' Lanterns

• Peyote Plants

• Halloween masks, face paints, horns, bobbleheads and casino decorations

Kortz Center Heist Gets New Primary Targets

The Kortz Center Heist rotates in new Primary Targets this week: Pumpkin, A Winding Road Home and Winter, Nowhere in Particular. The first-completion bonus resets, and finishing the heist without anyone dying earns an extra GTA$400,000.

FIB Priority File

This week's FIB Priority File is The Black Box File, and Priority Files pay double.

Salvage Yard Robberies

• The McTony Robbery: Pfister Growler

• The Gangbanger Robbery: Albany Fränken Stange

• The Podium Robbery: Willard Eudora

Casino and Vehicle Rotations

Podium Vehicle: The Annis Savestra is up for grabs on the Lucky Wheel. It normally costs $990,000 at Legendary Motorsport. GTA+ members get two spins every 24 hours.

Prize Ride Challenge: Place in the top four in an LS Car Meet race two days in a row to unlock the Declasse Walton L35. It costs $1,670,000 at Southern San Andreas Super Autos.

Hao's Premium Test Ride: The Maibatsu MonstroCiti, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC Enhanced players.

Test Track: The Declasse Vamos, Dewbauchee Seven-70 and Ocelot Locust.

Luxury Autos (Rockford Hills): The Dewbauchee Rapid GT X and Übermacht Sentinel XS4.

Premium Deluxe Motorsport: Simeon's lot has five cars: the Albany Brigham, Albany Fränken Stange, Albany Lurcher, Declasse Tornado Rat Rod and LCC Sanctus.

Gun Van Stock

Discounts are on offer again. Percentages show the standard discount, with the GTA+ price in brackets.

Weapons

• Knife, El Strickler, Combat Shotgun, Precision Rifle: 10% off (GTA+ 20%)

• Up-n-Atomizer, Unholy Hellbringer, Widowmaker: 10% off (GTA+ 50%)

• Service Carbine: 30% off (GTA+ 30%)

• Baseball Bat and The Shocker: free

Throwables: Pipe Bombs, 10% off (GTA+ 20%)

Body Armor: All five tiers, from Super Light to Super Heavy, are 10% off (GTA+ 20%)

Races and Time Trials

• Premium Race: The Commute

• HSW Time Trial: Tongva Valley

• Time Trial: Terminal

Discounts

40% off

• Agency properties, including upgrades and modifications

• Albany Brigham

• Albany Fränken Stange

• Albany Lurcher

• Declasse Tornado Rat Rod

• LCC Sanctus

30% off

• Annis Remus

• Benefactor Terrorbyte

• BF Club

• Bravado Greenwood

• Dinka Jester RR

• Emperor ETR1

• Grotti Itali GTO

• Karin Hotring Everon

• Pegassi Tempesta

• Übermacht SC1

Bonus Payouts

3x GTA$ and RP

• Halloween Featured Series: Slasher and Ramius – Slasher

• Halloween Survivals: Ludendorff Cemetery Survival, Cayo Perico Survival and Alien Survivals (6x for GTA+ members)

• San Andreas Super Sport Series: Hotring Races and Random Transform Races

• Community Race Series

2x GTA$ and RP

• Bail Office Standard and Most Wanted Targets

• Dispatch Work

• UFO Business Battles

• Jack O' Lanterns (4x for GTA+ members)

2x GTA$ only

• Ghosts Exposed (4x for GTA+ members)

Weekly Challenge

Win in two Adversary modes this week to earn GTA$1,000,000 and the Pink Skull Emissive Mask.

A new batch of GTA 6 gameplay details has surfaced from an extended interview between IGN and Rob Nelson, Rockstar Games' Head of Development and Co-Studio Head. IGN was shown a live play session, with Nelson answering questions as he moved through a section of the game.

A strange encounter in a dumpster

The first notable moment came as Nelson played as Lucia and ran into a man in a dumpster. The scene offers a choice: hand him some pills or walk away. Players who return later can get legal advice from him, and they can also climb into the dumpster with him. The encounter was unscripted, which fits Rockstar's long habit of filling its worlds with odd, optional moments.

Showers confirmed, with nudity

Right after that scene, Nelson switched to Jason, who was in the shower and naked. This confirms that GTA 6 includes shower scenes with nudity, though the interview gives no further detail on how or where players will see them.

Texting and calling between the leads

The biggest systems news is how far communication between the protagonists goes. While you play as one of them, you can text or call the other at any time. IGN saw Lucia answer a message from Jason with "Sweet, I'll come to you."

Those exchanges also feed into the relationship between the two. Players are free to spend an entire day apart, but the other character may check in. In one example, they text that they're heading to bed and locking up, and ask if you're okay. A short reply, such as "Ok, goodnight" or "I'll see you later," keeps things fine. Ignoring the message will chip away at their connection, though only slightly.

Social media is look-only

In-game social media works differently. Players can follow accounts and browse posts, but can't post updates as Jason or Lucia.

What to take from it

None of this changes the basic picture of GTA 6, but it adds depth to the two-protagonist setup. The relationship system now has small day-to-day consequences instead of resting only on story missions. Rockstar hasn't said how much a neglected relationship matters over a full playthrough.

GTA 6 is scheduled for release on November 19. Source: IGN's interview with Rob Nelson.

A new leak points to a collaboration between Rockstar Games and Discord, with Wumpus Central, a well-regarded Discord dataminer, finding parts of a GTA VI campaign in the latest build of the app. Wumpus Central says the references turned up in Discord's Canary build.

The promotion is reportedly codenamed "Hexagon" and designed as a limited-time event. According to the leak, it would bring several GTA VI-themed cosmetic features to the app:

• A GTA VI app icon

• A GTA VI-themed app theme

• A custom display name font in the style of the game

• A possible Discord Quest with an as-yet-unknown reward

Dates found in the code suggest the campaign would start on November 17, 2026 at 18:00 UTC, end for free users on December 8, and continue for Nitro subscribers until February 15, 2027. That timing puts the launch two days before GTA 6 releases on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Wumpus Central also shared a screenshot of the desktop theme, which reportedly uses a Vice City-style gradient.

It's unclear what the Quest would ask users to do or what they'd earn. One outlet speculated the reward could be Discord Orbs, which can be spent in a possible GTA 6-themed shop, but nothing in the leak confirms that.

Not Their First Team-Up

Rockstar and Discord have worked together before. Watching the first GTA VI trailer on Discord earned viewers a short Nitro subscription, and linking accounts earned GTA Online cash.

The campaign also fits Rockstar's current marketing push. Recent activity has included exclusive cover stories, murals in New York and a Miami Heat collaboration with its own merchandise and a rooftop billboard. The leaked start date also falls a day before the Miami Heat's GTA 6-themed game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Treat It as a Leak for Now

Neither Rockstar nor Discord has confirmed the collaboration. Dates and features found in unreleased code can change or be scrapped before launch. The leak has also prompted some talk about a future PC version, but the datamine offers no concrete evidence that a PC release is coming sooner than expected.

If the details hold, Discord users will be able to show off their GTA 6 hype with a themed app within weeks.

A report that Xbox had locked up exclusive streaming rights to Grand Theft Auto VI lit up the community on Tuesday. Within hours, the claim was being scaled back by the reporter who broke it and by Xbox's own strategy chief.

What was reported

The Verge reported on Tuesday that Xbox had landed exclusive game streaming rights for GTA 6, with Xbox Cloud Gaming as the only way to stream the game when it launches on November 19. The report said Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees at an internal all-hands meeting that Microsoft was doing something around GTA 6 that "no other platform holder is doing."

The implications looked big. The arrangement would have let players reach GTA 6 through Xbox's cloud service on supported PCs, smart TVs and mobile devices rather than needing a console. That mattered because Rockstar Games has not announced a PC version of the game.

The walk-back

The framing didn't hold. Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball responded to the report by saying Xbox is looking forward to launching GTA VI on November 19, "though the game will not be streaming exclusively or to PC." Tom Warren said he corrected his story because the Xbox cloud streaming rights deal appears to be more complicated than he originally reported.

Some outlets also reported the arrangement as non-exclusive. One report said the deal appears to cover Xbox console streaming specifically, which suggests players on web browsers or mobile apps may not be able to stream GTA 6 that way. No one has publicly detailed exactly what the deal covers, and neither Xbox nor Rockstar has confirmed the arrangement.

Why it matters

The timing is notable. Microsoft is preparing to sell streaming hour packages, and Xbox is due to introduce a pay-as-you-go cloud option in November. Game Pass subscribers will also face monthly streaming limits starting that month: five hours on Essential, 10 on Premium and 15 on Ultimate. It is also unconfirmed whether or how either change would apply to GTA 6.

There is also a catch for anyone hoping to dodge a console. Players would need to buy a copy of GTA 6 on Xbox, and with no PC version announced, it's unclear that the purchase would carry over to PC later.

What's confirmed

GTA 6 launches November 19, 2026, on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a PC release yet to be announced. Beyond that, the cloud streaming picture is still unsettled. Whether Xbox has any exclusivity, how long it lasts, and which devices are covered are all open questions until Rockstar or Xbox says more.

We'll update this story as official details emerge.

A new Grand Theft Auto VI screenshot and a batch of developer interviews have arrived with the release of issue 27 of LOVE magazine. The French fashion title landed on Monday with an exclusive GTA VI feature and cover. Inside, Rockstar staff discuss how they approached the story, the characters and the world of Leonida.

The magazine's preview earlier this month already produced a few quotes and images. The full issue adds more.

Writing Lucia

Rockstar writer Alexa D'Agostino explained that she built Lucia from the women she knows, including her own mother, an immigrant who grew up in Newark, New Jersey, not far from Lucia's hometown of Liberty City. D'Agostino said the character came naturally to her. The goal was a fully realised person with her own wants, flaws included, rather than an idealised hero. She said that approach is what lets Lucia stand alongside Arthur Morgan and Niko Bellic.

Elizabeth Gauvey-Kern told LOVE that the actress playing Lucia brought a great deal to the role. Rockstar has still not publicly confirmed who she is. Gauvey-Kern said Lucia needed to be tough and cool, and that the performance helped make her a strong GTA protagonist. Rockstar wanted both leads to be vulnerable and flawed, sometimes right and sometimes wrong, and able to learn from each other.

Raul, meanwhile, serves as the guide. He carries the local and criminal knowledge Jason and Lucia lack when they reach Vice City, filling the "older mentor" role Rockstar wanted.

A world that talks back

Rupert Humphries, Rockstar's Senior Vice President of Narrative, said Leonida is filled with characters and culture wars meant to make it feel alive. Much of that comes through ambient media rather than face-to-face encounters. Players might spot an election sign, get a robocall from a campaign, or catch political talk shows and commercials on the radio.

Humphries contrasted GTA VI with Red Dead Redemption 2, which he described as a historical recreation. GTA VI uses many of the same tools but pushes everything toward the satirical and grotesque. It holds up a mirror to the real world while keeping the series' trademark absurdity.

Writers at scale

To make that work, Rockstar has a dedicated team of pedestrian dialogue writers in Los Angeles. A separate group of advertising and comedy writers is spread across New York, Los Angeles and London. Open-world writer James Horton called the job "profoundly technical," since dialogue has to hook into many interconnected game systems.

Horton said the studio set out to dream bigger this time. Hundreds of writers were brought together to reach a new level of realism. The aim is a city that holds up whether the player sprints past a hundred snatches of conversation or stops to listen closely to just one.

GTA VI is set to launch on November 19. Rockstar has also teamed up with the Miami Heat for a Vice City-themed game on release week, and a GTA VI mural is being painted in New York City.

Fans hoping to hear from the man behind Grand Theft Auto will have to keep waiting. Rockstar Games co-founder and president Sam Houser has pulled out of a long-planned GQ interview, according to the journalist who was set to conduct it.

Houser is one of the most private figures in the games industry. Only a handful of interviews with him have ever been published, and he has largely let Rockstar's games speak for him. With Grand Theft Auto VI arriving on November 19, GQ's profile would have been a landmark moment for fans, a chance to hear from the executive who has led the studio for more than two decades.

Four years in the making

The news came from writer Sam White, who revealed on X that the interview is no longer happening. White said he had spent roughly four years in conversation with Rockstar about getting time with Houser. Rockstar confirmed back in April that the interview would go ahead.

That changed in recent weeks. According to White, Houser decided to step back "mostly for personal reasons." White said he had already prepared his questions for the day, and relayed Houser's response with a shrug: "I'm good, lads." White added that he respects the decision.

Still, he didn't hide his disappointment. White described coming away empty-handed after such a long effort as "gutting," and said he had considered Houser a perfect subject for what could have been the biggest GQ profile of his career. He noted that it had been a difficult year personally, and said he is moving on to the next project.

A missed opportunity for fans

The timing makes the cancellation sting. GTA VI is widely seen as the culmination of Houser's long run leading Rockstar, a project that has reshaped expectations for open-world games. Few insights from the company's president have ever reached the public, so a wide-ranging conversation about the game, the studio and his own views on the medium would have been a rare find.

There is no indication from Rockstar that another interview with Houser is planned before launch. For now, the game itself remains the main way he is communicating with players.

More GTA 6 news in the run-up to launch

Rockstar's promotional push is picking up in other ways. New screenshots have appeared in a fashion magazine, a GTA 6 mural is being painted in New York City, and the Miami Heat are rebranding as Vice City for a release-week game, part of a wider collaboration with Rockstar.

Grand Theft Auto VI has started turning up in age rating databases, and the descriptions attached to those classifications go further than anything Rockstar has shown publicly. The game carries an 18+ rating, or the local equivalent, in every region, which will surprise no one. What stands out is the specific reasoning behind it.

PEGI, the rating body covering Europe and the UK, listed GTA VI with content descriptors for violence, sex, drugs and in-game purchases. The accompanying write-up outlined several mechanics and content details that hadn't previously been confirmed.

What PEGI's listing described

• Drug use: Players can carry cocaine and snort it directly from their hand at any time.

• Sexual content: The game contains strong sexual themes, including nudity, scenes of intercourse and occasional references to fetishes.

• Nightclub interactions: Players can pay for private dances in clubs, and the game lets them touch the dancers during those scenes.

• Animals: Domestic animals exist in the world and can be harmed by the player, though the injury detail is less graphic than what can be inflicted on human characters.

• Language: Strong profanity is frequent, with an especially harsh expletive appearing occasionally.

• Discriminatory language: Such language can be heard on in-game TV shows and radio stations.

• In-game purchases: Optional items can be bought, but the game is fully playable without them. This likely refers to the Ultimate Edition upgrade.

Violence remains front and center

Anyone who watched the recent Extended Look trailer won't be shocked by the violence descriptor. PEGI describes the game's free-roaming violence as bloody and highly realistic, with certain weapons capable of causing extreme damage, including detailed decapitation and dismemberment.

The listing was pulled

Shortly after the details began circulating, PEGI removed the GTA VI rating page. As of this writing, there has been no explanation for the removal, and it's unclear whether the entry was published early or simply taken down for review. Rockstar has not commented on the rating or the details in it.

The rating arrives during a busy stretch for GTA VI news. New screenshots appeared in a fashion magazine this week, a GTA VI mural is going up in New York City, and Rockstar has teamed with the Miami Heat for a Vice City-themed release day game. With the game's November 19 launch approaching, expect more rating boards to publish their own assessments, which may fill in the picture PEGI started.

Rockstar Games has handed fans another small batch of GTA 6 material, this time through a fashion and culture magazine. LOVE magazine published an exclusive feature on Grand Theft Auto VI on Friday, complete with two previously unseen screenshots and a cover starring Lucia and Jason.

What's in the issue

Issue 27 of LOVE pairs the new imagery with interviews from a range of writers discussing the game, including Rob Nelson, Co-Studio Head and Head of Development at Rockstar North. The cover art and screenshots are available to view in the gallery above.

It's the latest in a run of magazine-driven GTA 6 reveals. Following the Game Informer cover story and the Dazed autumn issue, the LOVE feature continues Rockstar's pattern of using print and editorial partners to drip-feed new looks at the game ahead of its November 19 release.

Rockstar's writers on the game's tone

An excerpt from the feature has been released, featuring Rockstar's narrative team explaining the thinking behind GTA 6's world and characters.

Rupert Humphries, Senior Vice President of Narrative at Rockstar Games, says the setting is meant to be a pressure cooker, and that a game recreating today's world has to push things further than reality itself, or players could simply step outside. He describes Lucia as a character defined by her determination to build a better life and refusing to let obstacles stand in her way. In his view, there's something hopeful and naïve about a crime spree on the run, and the modern American dream has become more modest: a family home and debts paid off rather than spectacular success. He singles out Miami and southern Florida as a front line in that struggle.

Writer Elizabeth Gauvey-Kern explains that the team wanted both protagonists to be vulnerable, tough and flawed, sometimes right and sometimes wrong, and able to learn from one another. That, she says, is what makes them authentic and a strong team.

Fellow writer Alexa D'Agostino adds that when writing a fully realized person with their own desires, the result is bound to be "perfectly imperfect," a mix of cliché and something undeniably real.

What it means for fans

The quotes reinforce what Rockstar has been signaling across recent interviews: a heightened but grounded take on modern America, with Jason and Lucia's partnership at the heart of the story. With release day now weeks away, expect more of these editorial drops to follow.

More GTA 6 news

In other recent GTA 6 coverage, a mural is being painted in New York City, and Rockstar has teamed up with the Miami Heat for a special Vice City collaboration.

The Miami Heat have partnered with Rockstar Games on a limited merchandise line themed around Grand Theft Auto VI. The "Vice City Collection" went live on the team's online store today, October 2, and shoppers moved fast. Within minutes of the shadow drop, several items had already sold out in certain sizes.

The launch follows the franchise's recent announcement that it will rebrand as Vice City for one night only on the eve of GTA VI's release. The Heat will take on the Bucks at the Kaseya Center on November 18 for "A Night in Vice City," and this merchandise looks set to be a centerpiece of that celebration.

What's on offer

The collection spans tees, caps and hoodies, with most pieces carrying the Heat's Court Culture branding and some featuring collaborations with Duvin and New Era.

Tees: The T-shirt lineup is the largest part of the drop, with eight designs:

• "Vice City Grill" Oversized Tee

• "Vice City Postcard" Tee (Court Culture x Duvin)

• "I <3 Vice City" Crop

• "Vice City Souvenir" Oversized Tee

• "Welcome to Vice City" Tee

• "Vice City Pool Service" Pocket Tee (Court Culture x Duvin)

• "Vice City" Oversized Tee

• "Vice City Shades" Tee (Court Culture x Duvin)

Caps: Four New Era headwear options round out the accessories:

• "Vice City Logo" Snapback

• "Vice City Goodtime State" Snapback

• "Vice City Logo" Dad Cap

• "Vice City Billiards" Snapback

Hoodies and crewnecks: Cold-weather options include the "Vice City" Hoodie and a "Welcome to Vice City" Crewneck from the Court Culture x Duvin range.

Shipping and availability

Orders are expected to ship within five to six weeks. Fans who sign up as a free Heat Store Insider will receive free shipping on US orders over $99. Given how quickly stock has moved online, it's likely the same items will also be sold at the Kaseya Center on November 18, though the Heat haven't confirmed that. Either way, with demand this strong, these pieces look destined to become collector's items.

A growing Vice City push

The Heat collaboration is the latest sign that Rockstar's marketing for GTA VI is spilling into the real world as launch approaches. A GTA 6 mural is currently being painted in New York City, and posters have begun appearing on buildings. Rockstar and Miami-Dade County are also putting up large-scale signage in downtown Miami. It follows other recent merchandise moves, including the "Goodtime State – Vice City Collection" box set revealed last week.

With GTA VI arriving November 19, expect the Vice City branding to get harder to avoid between now and release day.

Rockstar Games' marketing push for Grand Theft Auto VI is spilling out of the gaming world and into professional basketball. The Miami Heat have announced a one-night collaboration with Rockstar in which the NBA franchise will temporarily rebrand as Vice City, trading its usual look for the neon pink aesthetic the series is known for.

The event, billed as "A Night in Vice City," takes place on November 18, the night before GTA VI hits shelves. The team will host the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center in Miami, with tip-off set for 7pm ET. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN, which should put the crossover in front of a national audience well beyond the arena.

The Heat teased a custom-built hardwood court for the night, described as a "never-before-seen" design themed around Vice City. A preview image of the floor was shared alongside the announcement. The team will also wear a brand-new uniform created for the collaboration, though that design is being kept under wraps for now. Only a teaser image has been shown so far, along with a Vice City-styled version of the Heat logo.

Fans heading to the game can also expect special programming, live events, and other game night activations in and around the arena, though specifics haven't been shared yet. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.

The partnership fits a pattern of real-world Miami takeovers as launch day approaches. A "Welcome to Vice City" sign now sits atop the Kaseya Center and lights up at night. Elsewhere, Rockstar and Miami-Dade County have been putting up large-scale signage in downtown Miami, GTA 6 posters have begun appearing on buildings, and a GTA 6 mural is being painted in New York City.

With Rockstar's Vice City-inspired setting based on a fictionalized Florida, tying the game to one of Miami's most recognizable sports franchises is a natural move. Whether or not the uniform and court live up to the hype, the Heat's game against the Bucks looks set to be one of the most visible GTA 6 launch-week moments outside the game itself.

A large-scale Grand Theft Auto VI mural appears to be under construction in New York City, continuing a Rockstar Games marketing tradition that fans have been waiting to see revived for the next entry in the series.

The first sighting came from a Reddit user, who shared a photo of the wall in its early stages. The image shows the outline of the artwork: the stacked Grand Theft Auto logo sits at the center, flanked by protagonists Jason and Lucia, both armed, with palm trees framing the scene. No color has been applied yet, so what's visible is a sketched layout rather than a finished piece. Based on the progress so far, the full mural is expected to be completed within the next few days.

According to the poster, the wall is located at the corner of Wythe Avenue and North 11th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, one of the city's busiest neighborhoods for street art and foot traffic.

A Rockstar tradition

Giant painted murals have long been part of how Rockstar introduces its biggest games to the public. The most famous recent example came in April 2013, when a mural of Grand Theft Auto V's cover art appeared on a New York building. Many people initially wondered whether it was an April Fools' joke, until Rockstar confirmed it was real and unveiled the complete cover the following day. GTA IV also received its own memorable murals during its marketing run, and fans have been expecting the same treatment for GTA VI.

The marketing push is heating up

The timing fits with a broader ramp-up in real-world promotion. Official GTA VI posters carrying the November 19, 2026 release date and a pre-order call to action have reportedly begun appearing in public spaces, signaling that Rockstar's advertising campaign is now moving beyond the digital world and onto the streets.

It's worth noting that Rockstar has not yet publicly commented on the Brooklyn mural. Until the wall is finished, or the studio acknowledges it, details such as the final design and any additional elements remain unconfirmed.

What to watch for

With the outline now in place, the next step is the color pass, which should reveal how closely the final piece follows the initial sketch and whether any hidden details are included. Fans in the New York area are being encouraged to share progress photos as the artwork develops.

We'll update this story once the mural is complete or Rockstar weighs in.

GTA Online reached its 13th birthday today, and Rockstar Games is marking the occasion with a new in-game gift for players. The reward is a 13th anniversary Party Hat, and it is available now to anyone whose character is old enough to qualify.

A milestone for a rocky start

It has been more than a decade since GTA Online launched in 2013, and the debut was far from smooth. GTA V had become the fastest-selling piece of entertainment in history only weeks earlier, so expectations were enormous. The launch was marred by major server problems. Players who logged in on Day One and fought through those issues are the ones the 13th anniversary gift is aimed at.

What you get and how to claim it

Log into GTA Online on October 1 with a character that was created 13 years ago and the gift will be added to your account. The reward is a black and green party hat with the number 13 on it. You also receive firework ammo to go with it.

To equip the hat, open the Party Hats section under Hats, either in your wardrobe or through the Interaction Menu.

Not a Day One player? You're still covered

The gift isn't limited to the original launch date. Rockstar ties each hat to the anniversary of your own character's creation, so you receive a new one every year based on how long your character has existed. Hats for years one through twelve were added in late 2024 with The Chop Shop update. The 13th hat is the highest tier anyone can currently earn.

How to check your character's birthday

Not sure when you made your character? Here is how to find out:

1. Press the pause button.

2. Open the Stats tab.

3. Scroll down to General on the right side.

4. Your character creation date is listed there.

Party outfits are part of the program too

Hats aren't the only birthday rewards. A Bronze Party Suit is gifted to characters that reach five years old, and a Silver Party Suit goes to characters that pass ten years. Rockstar hasn't said whether a Gold Party Suit will arrive at the 15-year mark, though it would fit the established pattern.

What comes next

The next milestone, year 14, arrives in 2027, and there are signs Rockstar has plans beyond that. A glitch previously showed a 15th-year hat on at least one veteran character. In December 2023, X user Finn Pup reported that his original character had 15 hats, and he took it as a sign Rockstar intended to support GTA Online for at least five more years.

That outlook has held up. GTA VI has been delayed multiple times, and Rockstar has said it will keep supporting the current version of GTA Online well into the future, with no new GTA Online launching for some time.

Los Santos is getting spooky again. A new GTA Online weekly update has begun, and the month-long Halloween event has returned with new and old spooks plus rewards. Rockstar says the event runs from October 1st through October 7th. That first week brings returning scares, boosted payouts and a long list of freebies.

Free rewards and the big payday

The headline giveaway is the Cheerleader Massacre 3 T-Shirt, which is free through October 7 and must be claimed from in-game clothing stores. Players who complete five Security Contracts through October 7 receive GTA$500,000 within 72 hours of completion.

There is also a larger prize for anyone willing to commit to the whole month. Completing all Weekly Challenges through November 4 pays out GTA$2,000,000 within 72 hours. The first challenge is to secure two Bail Office Bounties, which rewards the Green Vintage Skull Mask and GTA$100,000. Later weeks swap in new objectives and outfits: Adversary mode wins, races and a full Survival run.

Triple money on the spooky stuff

Halloween content gets the biggest boosts. 3X GTA$ and RP applies to the Halloween Featured Series, Slasher and Ramius – Slasher, as well as the Halloween Survivals: Ludendorff Cemetery, Cayo Perico and Alien Survivals. The San Andreas Super Sport Series, covering Hotring Races and Random Transform Races, also pays 3X, as do Community Race Series events.

Smaller bonuses round things out. Bail Office targets and Dispatch Work pay 2X GTA$ and RP, and UFO Business Battles, Jack O' Lanterns and Ghosts Exposed also get double payouts. Some of those stay active all October.

Returning scares and seasonal gear

The usual horrors are back in Los Santos. Slashers, Clone Slasher, Phantom Car, Cerberus Surprise, Possessed Animals, Ghosts Exposed, Jack O'Lanterns and Peyote Plants all return. The seasonal wardrobe returns too, with Halloween masks, face paints, horns, bobbleheads and casino decorations.

Weekly rotation: cars, casino and discounts

• Casino podium vehicle: Lampadati Cinquemila, priced at GTA$1,740,000 from Legendary Motorsport, available from the daily lucky wheel spin.

• Prize Ride: Vapid Dominator GTT, unlocked by placing top 5 in an LS Car Meet Race three days in a row.

• Premium Test Ride: Maibatsu MonstroCiti, for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC Enhanced players.

• Test Track: Ocelot Locust, Dewbauchee Seven-70 and Declasse Vamos.

• Premium Race: Arms Race.

• FIB Priority File: The Project Breakaway File.

• Time Trial: Maze Bank Arena.

Shoppers get a long sale list as well, with 14 vehicles discounted and the LCC Sanctus the best deal at 40% off. Other 40% cuts include the Albany Brigham, Albany Lurcher, Albany Fränken Stange and Declasse Tornado Rat Rod. On the weapons side, the Knife, El Strickler, Combat Shotgun and Precision Rifle are 10% off, or 20% for GTA+ members.

The bottom line

With triple payouts on the Halloween modes, a half-million-dollar Security Contract payout and a GTA$2 million bonus waiting at the end of the month, October is shaping up as a lucrative one in GTA Online. Weekly updates roll over on Thursdays, so expect a fresh set of bonuses and challenges on October 8.

With the November 19 launch now less than two months away, Rockstar Games has begun showing off its upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI merchandise, and this time the preview came by courier.

A mystery box for a creator

Call of Duty YouTuber TmarTn, a longtime friend of the studio, published a video unboxing a package Rockstar sent him. It was a black box with the Rockstar logo, a short note, and several of the items that leaked from the Rockstar Store a week ago. Most of the gear is in blue colorways.

Here's what was in the box:

• GTA VI Zippo lighter

• GTA VI Tote Bag (Blue)

• GTA VI Hologram Sticker Pack

• Parody Shards Tee (Blue)

• Rockstar Flexfit Custom Hat (Blue/Pink)

The tote bag carries branding on both sides. One side shows the new VI palm tree logo and the other has the classic stacked Grand Theft Auto wordmark.

How we got here

Last week, dozens of unlisted products turned up in the Rockstar Store's backend, with reports putting the count between roughly 20 and 55 items depending on the outlet. They included T-shirts, hats, keychains, and stickers, along with parody-brand apparel styled after fictional Vice City businesses. Only one of those listings has officially gone live so far: the $400 Grand Theft Auto VI: The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection. Rockstar hasn't officially announced the rest.

Thursday is shaping up to be merch day

Several outlets have noticed a pattern. Since the Extended Look trailer arrived on August 27, Rockstar has revealed or opened pre-orders for new GTA 6 merchandise on each consecutive Thursday. Today is Thursday, October 1, and creators are now holding physical packages. That points to another drop, and past drops have tended to go live in the early morning Pacific time. Release day, November 19, is also a Thursday.

Why it matters

Rockstar did something similar with Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2, putting apparel on sale before launch. Seeing the studio build a full lifestyle line around Vice City this early shows how much it expects the hype to carry.

Rockstar hasn't confirmed pricing, availability, or shipping dates for these items, and not every item in the creator boxes may reach the public store. When the collection goes live, we'll update this story.

Grand Theft Auto VI is being treated as a lock for Game of the Year, but the awards calendar may not cooperate. Its November 19, 2026 release date could keep it from receiving a Game Awards nomination at all, and several outlets are now pointing out that the game's own launch window is the problem.

The Game Awards timing problem

The concern comes from games writer and former journalist Alanah Pearce, who has sat on The Game Awards jury several times. She says GTA 6 might not qualify for GOTY because it releases too late in the year. The Game Awards' eligibility cutoff has historically fallen around the same time as GTA 6's launch. For reference, last year's GOTY nominees were announced on November 17, two days before GTA 6 arrives.

Even if the game squeezed in before the show, jurors would face a second hurdle. Pearce says that even if GTA 6 made the cut before the December 10 ceremony, the jury wouldn't be able to vote having seen all of the game. A title of this scale takes a long time to finish, and voters would have only a few weeks.

Rockstar's review approach could make it harder

Rockstar's handling of press access may add to the problem. A journalist has claimed on X that Rockstar will only let journalists play in a controlled environment and does not plan to distribute review keys. That claim is unconfirmed. If it holds, jurors who haven't played the game by voting time could see it miss nominations even while eligible on paper.

There is some room for flexibility. The Game Awards could adjust its voting schedule to include GTA 6, but nothing has been confirmed.

A clean sweep is already off the table

Whatever happens with The Game Awards, GTA 6 has already lost one of the major trophies. A full GOTY sweep requires winning at The Game Awards, the DICE Awards, the GDC Awards, the BAFTAs, and the Golden Joysticks, the feat managed by Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The Golden Joystick Awards take place eight days before GTA 6 launches, so it is out of this year's race.

There is a silver lining. GTA 6 already holds two Golden Joystick trophies from 2025, for Most Wanted Game and Best Game Trailer. It can still compete for the Golden Joysticks' Console Game of the Year and Ultimate Game of the Year awards in 2027.

What it can still win

GTA 6 isn't shut out of 2026 entirely. It can still win The Game Awards on December 10, plus DICE, BAFTA, and the Game Developers Choice Awards, assuming the eligibility and voting questions above work out. Those award bodies use eligibility windows that comfortably include November 19.

Waiting a year may not be so bad

If the game does slip to the 2027 cycle, it may face a different rival. Rockstar's game could end up competing with God of War Laufey, much like the 2018 clash between Red Dead Redemption 2 and Santa Monica Studio's God of War. There is also a historical warning. Games that have already been out for a year have historically had poor chances at The Game Awards, so a delayed nomination isn't a guaranteed win.

Rockstar's own history is another reminder that critical adoration and trophies don't always line up. Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely regarded as a masterpiece, yet it failed to win a single Game of the Year award from any of the big five. And GTA V never won the top peer prize in 2013, yet it went on to sell more than 230 million copies. For a franchise with GTA's commercial weight, the awards conversation may matter far less than the sales charts.

The Game Awards ceremony is on December 10, and whether GTA 6 makes it onto the nominee list should be clear well before then.

Dutch police have arrested a 24-year-old man from Amsterdam as part of an investigation into ShinyHunters, the hacking collective that breached Rockstar Games earlier this year. The case has taken a serious turn, with the suspect also under investigation for the attempted incitement of two murders. Police stress that this suspicion is separate from the ShinyHunters inquiry.

What police say

The man was arrested on September 15 and appeared in court on Tuesday. He is suspected of participating in a criminal organization, which is the basis for his arrest.

According to Dutch police, investigators found a large amount of information on his laptop after the arrest, including details about two murders that were to be committed abroad. Police say there are indications the suspect gave the order for them. He is being held in complete isolation while the investigation continues.

In their statement, police said the murder allegation is a separate matter from the ShinyHunters investigation.

Who is the suspect?

Reuters, citing a statement from Neo Security, reported that the man is Pepijn van der Stap, an offensive security lead at the Amsterdam-based firm. Neither the police statement nor the reporting available so far establishes that he has been charged with any specific offense, and all of the allegations remain unproven.

The report states that he was previously convicted of data theft and extortion but has since disavowed cybercrime. ShinyHunters, for its part, denies that he is associated with the group.

A quick recap of the Rockstar breach

Earlier this year, Rockstar was hacked and held to ransom by ShinyHunters. The group reportedly got in through a third-party software service used by the company and claimed to have taken around 80 million files. It demanded payment under threat of releasing the data.

Rockstar did not pay. The leaked material gave the public an unusually detailed look inside the company, including figures on how much revenue GTA Online generates and how many players it has across platforms.

At the time, Rockstar acknowledged the incident, saying a limited amount of non-material company information was accessed in connection with a third-party data breach, and that the incident had no impact on its organization or players.

ShinyHunters' wider record

Rockstar is far from the group's only target. ShinyHunters has claimed responsibility for a long list of breaches, with Ticketmaster, SoundCloud, Google and even the FBI among the names attached to its recent activity.

What comes next

With the suspect held in isolation and police describing the investigation as thorough, further details may emerge as the case moves through the Dutch courts. For now, the link between this arrest and the Rockstar breach rests on the broader ShinyHunters investigation, a connection the group itself rejects.

We'll update this story as more information becomes available.

Rockstar Games has finally opened up on how Leonida will actually feel to live in. Game Informer's long-awaited GTA VI cover story, published in issue 382, is a 14-page deep dive with senior Rockstar designers. It reveals confirmed hurricanes, a re-engineered weather system, more than 170 animal species and a long list of activities spread across the studio's largest map to date.

A weather system that evolves Red Dead 2's

According to Game Informer, GTA VI runs on a re-engineered, localized and persistent weather system. It draws on the technology behind Red Dead Redemption 2 but is described as an evolution rather than a carbon copy.

Rain is a major focus. Storms can produce rainbows, and puddles and wet surfaces linger well after the downpour ends. Tropical storms and full hurricanes are also confirmed, fitting for a game set in a Florida-inspired state.

Wind gets its own new system too. Offshore breezes, convectional updrafts and wind occlusion from buildings all shape how hair, debris, water and vegetation move. Because weather is localized, conditions can differ across the map: one district may be hit by torrential rain while the player stands in clear sunshine elsewhere. The dynamic clouds seen in Red Dead 2 return, drifting across Leonida to drive changing conditions and lighting.

Leonida is Rockstar's biggest map yet

Art Director Aaron Garbut says the map is roughly twice the size of GTA V's, with a big jump in detail, density, interactivity and enterable interiors.

Confirmed activities include:

• Base jumping

• Billiards

• Gyms

• Kayaking

• Mini golf

• Scuba diving

• Street and off-road racing

• Zoos

• Air boating

• Jet skiing

The map itself spans ATV trails, mud parks, demolition derbies, mountain biking and motocross routes, alongside farms, ranches, golf courses, bass fishing spots, swamps and beaches. Players will also find abandoned tourist attractions, industrial zones and a northern countryside region.

More than 170 animal species

Wildlife is a headline feature. GTA VI includes over 170 species, among them more than 60 types of birds and over 30 land mammals. Confirmed animals include alligators, manatees, flamingos, pelicans, sharks, whales, rays, turtles, jellyfish, iguanas and macaques.

Some animals can be tracked and are sorted into Rare, Discoverable and Legendary categories. Rockstar is keeping the specific creatures in each tier under wraps for now. The studio also reports extensive work on fur, feathers and movement, in both visuals and simulation.

Where to read it

Issue 382 is shipping to subscribers and appearing at bookstores and newsstands, with delivery expected over the coming weeks. The digital edition is available now. The feature also came with 12 new screenshots of the game.

The bigger picture

The cover story lands amid a busy stretch for GTA VI. Pre-orders are reportedly setting records on Xbox, and the roughly $400 collector's edition has sold out in the UK and other regions despite the controversy around it.

Taken together, the details point to a game that wants Leonida to feel alive and unpredictable, with weather, wildlife and activities all layered on top of a much bigger map. Rockstar has more to show before launch, but this is the most concrete look yet at the world the studio has built.

A dozen new GTA 6 screenshots have been released by Rockstar Games, separate from the 20-plus images that arrived last month alongside the Extended Look. With launch now on the horizon, Rockstar is continuing to show more of the game.

Where the images come from

The screenshots are part of Game Informer's October 2026 issue, number 382, which is available digitally now ahead of a print release next month. The digital issue is the centerpiece of a 14-page cover story built from interviews with several lead designers at Rockstar.

The cover itself is new Jason and Lucia artwork. It appears to continue the artwork from the Grand Theft Auto VI soundtrack vinyl releases revealed last week.

What the screenshots show

The images show the dense streets of Vice City, the wider state of Leonida, and the characters who live there. Wildlife, NPCs the player will interact with, and fresh looks at protagonists Jason and Lucia all feature. Insider Gaming's rundown lists a beach, a bar, hunting, wildlife, a bike, a dock, a plane, hiking and a coastal scene, alongside dedicated shots of Jason and Lucia.

The weather stands out. One screenshot appears to show a hurricane, which fans took as evidence of the advanced weather system Rockstar has been building. The coastal shot shows a shoreline under a thunderstorm. Game Informer's story also confirms hurricanes and storms in the game.

Beyond the images

The feature adds detail about the world itself. Reports point to a map roughly twice the size of GTA V's, along with more than 170 animal species and detailed NPCs. Game Informer also covers Rockstar's research into Miami and Florida, which shaped the game's design.

Fans overwhelm Game Informer

Demand caused problems. Game Informer's website and app were overwhelmed by a surge of users, and login issues were still being reported. Some readers still got into the free story and collected the screenshots. Social media users then began posting the images.

What it means

This is not the 30-minute gameplay deep dive some fans have wanted. It is a steady drip of material as the launch nears. Grand Theft Auto VI is scheduled to launch on November 19, 2026. Given the pace of recent reveals, fans can expect more before then.

Rockstar Games is about to pull back the curtain on Leonida once more. Game Informer has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto VI is the cover star of issue 382, with a 14-page feature built around exclusive interviews with Rockstar's lead designers. The digital edition goes live on September 29.

A long-running tradition continues

For more than two decades, Rockstar has used Game Informer as a launchpad for major reveals, and GTA 6 is no exception. Fans had speculated about a cover story for months, and this one arrives less than two months before the game's November 19 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The feature was written by Senior Associate Editor Marcus Stewart, a South Florida native. He spoke with several Rockstar designers about how the studio built Vice City and the wider state of Leonida.

The weather system takes center stage

The most intriguing item on the menu is GTA 6's weather. Rumors and patent speculation have circulated for years, but Rockstar has never officially detailed how the system works. Game Informer says the issue will cover technology designed to simulate Florida's less sunny weather phenomena, a hint that the game may go well beyond simple sun-or-rain cycles. Considering how volatile Florida's climate can be, from sudden downpours to tropical storms, the feature could reveal how much the weather will shape moment-to-moment gameplay.

Wildlife and Florida research

The cover story will also explore the animals roaming Leonida on land, in the air and at sea, expanding on the alligators, birds and marine life glimpsed in earlier trailers. Rockstar's research process is another focus: the magazine says the studio worked to make Vice City and Leonida feel culturally and aesthetically true to Miami and Florida.

12 new screenshots and fresh artwork

Beyond the interviews, the issue includes 12 never-before-seen screenshots showing off the game's sights and NPCs. The cover itself features new artwork of protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, and it has already drawn plenty of attention from fans.

When you can read it

The digital edition of issue 382 arrives September 29. Print copies are shipping to subscribers, with newsstand and bookstore availability following in the coming weeks.

The preview lands after a heavy stretch of GTA 6 news, including the Netflix Extended Look trailer, a hands-off media event and a wave of gameplay leaks. Still, Game Informer's track record with Rockstar makes this one of the most anticipated pre-launch drops yet. With release day approaching, every new detail helps fill in the picture of what Leonida will look like when it goes live.

Rockstar Games has officially unveiled its GTA 6 collector's offering, Grand Theft Auto VI: The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection. Anyone expecting a traditional collector's edition should note the catch: the box doesn't include the game. There's no case, disc or download code inside. It's a merchandise bundle, and it stands in for the kind of collector's edition Rockstar has released alongside past titles.

The reveal follows a series of leaks pointing to a wave of GTA VI collectibles, and the listing has now appeared on Rockstar's own webstore. The approach echoes the Red Dead Redemption 2 collector's box: one large package stuffed with themed goodies, sold separately from the game itself.

Price, availability and limits

The Vice City Collection costs $399.99 in the US, £349.99 in the UK, €399.99 in Europe and CA$559.99 in Canada. Pre-orders are live now in North America and Europe. Rockstar says orders in Asia, Latin America and Australia will open at a later date.

Rockstar is capping purchases at one per customer through its store, and stock is listed as limited. The collection is set to ship on November 19, the same day GTA VI launches. The box measures 19 x 13.5 x 12.5 inches, so it's a sizable piece of shelf real estate.

What's in the box

Rockstar's listing includes eleven items, many built around Leonida's in-universe brands and characters:

• Macca the Gator figure: a twist-open base doubles as a stash spot, with the gator shown enjoying a smoke and a flamingo blood martini.

• Oakley Frogskins sunglasses: matte black frames with Prizm Sapphire lenses and a Vice City pink GTAVI logo.

• Leonida Keys crossbody bag: ripstop fabric, patterned black-and-pink lining, woven patches and a custom debossed YKK zipper pull.

• New Era 9FORTY snapback hat: an A-frame cap with Vice City Leonida embroidery, embellishments and appliques.

• Macca the Gator magnetic mirror: electroplated pink glass that works as a tray or hangs as wall art via two rear magnets.

• Chunkee the Manatee shot glass: Chunkee on the front, with a laser-etched Rockstar Games logo on the bottom.

• Vice City swizzle spoon: a decorative piece with a debossed enamel Vice City logo and a Rockstar Games logo tip.

• Vice City razor blade keychain: metallic, razor-styled, with embossed GTAVI and Vice City logos.

• Leonida Keys enamel pin set: nine pins in a custom metal tin.

• Leonida Keys sticker pack: nine crack-and-peel vinyl stickers in a stash bag.

• Double-sided souvenir poster: Macca the Gator characters from the Leonida TV show on the front, and a full map of the Goodtime State on the back.

More merch on the way

Rockstar says additional apparel and collectibles from the wider Grand Theft Auto VI Collection will arrive on its store soon, so the box looks like the centerpiece of a larger merchandise push rather than the whole lineup.

Marketing ramps up

The reveal lands as GTA VI promotion spreads into the real world. Posters have begun appearing on buildings, and Rockstar and Miami-Dade County have been putting up large-scale signage in downtown Miami. With launch less than two months away, the marketing rollout is clearly accelerating.

GTA Online's Business Rivalries event enters its final week, running September 24th to 30th. Rockstar is closing the month with the spotlight on Nightclub owners, plus a free property, a free car and fresh changes to the Kortz Center Heist.

The event is the first business-themed bonus month in a couple of years. Earlier weeks covered Executives, Bikers and Gunrunners, and this week the nightclub scene takes over.

Nightclub Week

Nightclub Goods Missions pay double GTA$ and RP through Yohan. Nightclub Management Missions earn double Popularity, which helps if you're trying to keep your club's meter full. New players can claim the Elysian Island Nightclub for free.

Other activities paying 2X GTA$ and RP this week include QuickiePharm Deliveries, selected Featured Series modes and the Community Combat Series.

Last Chance for the Free Penaud La Coureuse

Anyone who completed at least one of the previous three Weekly Challenges during the event can now claim the Penaud La Coureuse (Sports) for free from Legendary Motorsport. Eligible players on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Enhanced) also get a complimentary HSW upgrade from Hao's Special Works, so make sure you log in before the week ends.

This week's Weekly Challenge is to sell GTA$1,000,000 worth of goods across all your businesses. Completing it earns the Retro Fruit Tracksuit and a cash reward.

Delivering Business Battle crates also guarantees a clothing reward: the Six Figure Tee, Ride or Die Tee, Red and White Ammu-Nation Cap or Bourgeoix Tee.

Kortz Center Heist Gets a Shake-Up

The Kortz Center Heist has new Primary Targets this week, and its first-completion bonus resets, so you can claim it again. Finishing the heist without dying earns an extra GTA$400,000.

The Rest of the Week

• FIB Priority File: The Fine Art File, which pays double.

• Lucky Wheel: The podium vehicle is the Ocelot Penetrator, which costs $880,000 at Legendary Motorsport. GTA+ members get two spins every 24 hours.

• Prize Ride: Win the LS Car Meet Series four days in a row to unlock the Pegassi Zorrusso (Super), which costs $1,925,000.

• Premium Test Ride: The Imponte Arbiter GT, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC Enhanced players.

• Test Track: The Declasse Drift Yosemite, Vapid GB200 and Vysser Neo.

• Luxury Autos: Two cars are on show in Rockford Hills.

The weekly update resets on Thursday, when the bonuses, discounts, podium car and Prize Ride all rotate. That means the free Nightclub, the Penaud La Coureuse and the Kortz Center Heist changes are only around until the 30th.

With roughly two months left before Grand Theft Auto VI launches, Rockstar's real-world marketing push into Miami has officially begun — and it starts on a rooftop.

Travelers flying into Miami International Airport from over the ocean will now spot a large "Welcome to Vice City" sign, accompanied by GTA VI branding, perched atop the Kaseya Center, home of the NBA's Miami Heat. Local outlet WPLG Local 10 News captured aerial footage of the installation, which took place on Tuesday when a helicopter lowered the pink-and-white sign into place. Ground crews had assembled the sign beforehand and finished securing it once it was in position.

The timing lines up neatly with the Heat's upcoming schedule — their preseason opener falls on October 9, with the regular season kicking off October 21 or 22 — meaning the sign is set to get significant screen time as national broadcasts cut to the arena. According to the report, it's expected to stay up through at least the end of December.

Not every detail about the sign has impressed fans, however. The lettering is relatively small relative to the arena's size, spanning only about a third of its width, and the visible metal support brackets have drawn some criticism for detracting from the overall look. Whether it lights up at night remains to be seen — it doesn't appear to be illuminated yet, though that could change.

Interestingly, the Kaseya Center already has an in-game counterpart: Rockstar's Sahara Arena, which appears in GTA VI as a clear stand-in for the real building.

As for the cost, documents reviewed by the Miami Herald's Doug Hanks indicate Rockstar is paying Miami-Dade County close to $975,000 for the installation. That fee reportedly covers the various personnel required to put the sign up, including emergency services staff who were on hand during the ground operation.

This appears to be just the opening move in a broader marketing rollout across the city. Based on separate documents, a more substantial wave of GTA VI promotional material — including new billboards — is expected to arrive in Miami around mid-to-late October.

GTA Online Hit by Cheat Wave as New PS4 Jailbreak Opens the Door for Modders

GTA Online players on PS4 are dealing with a fresh outbreak of cheaters, and this time it traces back to hardware rather than the game itself. A newly released jailbreak for PS4 firmware 13.52 has given users on that version a way back onto PlayStation Network, and modders have wasted no time flooding lobbies with mod menus.

The fallout is familiar to anyone who's played GTA Online during a bad cheating spell: god mode, invisibility, instant rank-ups, and enormous cash drops appearing out of nowhere. For players still on PS4 who haven't made the jump to current-gen hardware, that puts them squarely in the blast radius.

The catch is that this isn't just annoying — it's risky for innocent players too. Rockstar's anti-cheat systems are tuned to flag suspicious spikes in money or RP, so a player who gets handed a pile of modded cash by a stranger in a lobby can end up banned right alongside the person who actually cheated.

Why this is happening now

The chain of events was flagged by well-known GTA dataminer Tez2, who traced the surge in modding activity back to the new jailbreak for firmware 13.52. That exploit lets PS4 units running the outdated firmware connect to PSN, effectively reopening a door Sony had closed off to jailbroken consoles.

For now, mod menus are running loose on PS4 servers as a result. But according to Tez2, the window is likely to be short-lived — Sony has a track record of cutting off PSN access for older firmware versions within a week or two of a new release going out.

What players should do in the meantime

Until that access gets shut off, PS4 players are being advised to stay cautious:

• Avoid joining public sessions where possible, or leave a lobby immediately if strange effects (unexplained cash boosts, rank jumps, invincible players) show up.

• Don't accept unsolicited money or RP transfers from strangers — even if it seems like a windfall, it can trigger an automated ban.

• Keep an eye on official Rockstar and community channels for updates on when Sony patches out the older firmware.

This isn't the first time PS4 jailbreaks have raised alarms about GTA Online's cheating problem, though earlier scares of this kind have sometimes fizzled out once Sony moved to lock down network access. Whether this one plays out the same way should become clear within the next couple of weeks.

YouTube has commissioned a new original series built around GTA RP server NoPixel, timed to land alongside the rollout of NoPixel V — the server's biggest and most ambitious version yet, now backed directly by Rockstar Games.

The show, called NoPixel News, comes from prominent NoPixel streamer Buddha, who announced the project in a tweet describing it as a weekly catch-up on the "biggest moments, storylines, and chaos" happening across the server. New episodes are set to drop every Monday at 10:00 a.m. PST, recapping the previous week's events, with a planned run of 18 episodes. Buddha was explicit that the series is "powered by YouTube," language that appeared prominently in the first episode itself.

That debut episode, released last week, sees Buddha co-hosting alongside fellow streamer Burn, with NoPixel regular Caylus brought in as a special guest reporter. The format leans into a mock-broadcast style, staged and filmed entirely within GTA, complete with the "powered by YouTube" branding front and center throughout. The episode also weaves in clips from some heavy-hitting names in and around the NoPixel scene — co-owner xQc, Sidemen member Zerkaa, and erobb, among others.

Not YouTube's First NoPixel Bet

This isn't the platform's first attempt at building a scripted or semi-scripted series out of NoPixel's world. Last year, YouTube backed a similar project pitched around Caylus, an original series called CayPlay that also leaned on the server's roleplay drama for content.

That earlier series had a bumpy reception: while a handful of episodes cracked a million views, the finale struggled to clear even 100,000 — a rough result for a channel with more than 20 million subscribers. It's unclear exactly how much YouTube spent producing CayPlay, but between Caylus, the production crew, and NoPixel staff involved, it was likely a meaningful investment. Given those numbers, YouTube circling back for a second Caylus-adjacent NoPixel show is a bit of a surprising move — though it suggests the platform still sees enough upside in the roleplay community to keep funding content built around it.

With NoPixel V now drawing official Rockstar support and a fresh wave of attention, NoPixel News looks like an attempt to capture some of that momentum on a recurring, low-overhead weekly format rather than a one-off scripted push — a safer bet than CayPlay's more ambitious swing.

Rockstar Games has published an updated modding policy just weeks before GTA 6 launches, and the fine print spells trouble for a number of community projects that have been in the works for years.

The publisher's relationship with modders has always been complicated. Rockstar and parent company Take-Two have pursued legal action against people reverse-engineering decades-old titles in the past, even while the company bought Cfx.re — the studio behind FiveM and RedM — and threw support behind the NoPixel roleplay server, which is now integrated directly into the Rockstar Games Launcher. That dual approach led some fans to assume Rockstar was easing up on mods. The new guidelines suggest otherwise: the language is broad enough to put even harmless, long-established mods on the wrong side of the rules.

The end of some community projects

Under a section titled "Respect Our Games," Rockstar restates that fans cannot expand or alter official storylines, missions, characters, or other established canon. The same restriction covers crossing content between titles — meaning mashups like Liberty City assets dropped into GTA V remain explicitly off-limits.

A newer addition targets platform ports: Rockstar now directly prohibits modifying its games to run on hardware or platforms the company hasn't officially supported.

That's a direct hit on a handful of high-profile passion projects. Over the past few years, modders have made real progress porting GTA V to unsupported hardware like the Nintendo Switch and Android devices — efforts RockstarINTEL has covered before, and genuinely impressive ones. GTA III fans have also been chasing a Sega Dreamcast port, reviving a version of the game that was originally in development for that console before Rockstar pivoted to PlayStation. Both are now operating on borrowed time.

FiveM and roleplay servers face new limits too

The guidelines also single out roleplay content built around real-world military simulation. Rockstar's policy now explicitly bars conflict roleplay or military simulations depicting real armed organizations — a rule aimed squarely at the kind of content some GTA RP servers on FiveM have leaned into.

On monetization, Rockstar reiterates that modding must stay non-commercial unless it goes through the official Creator Platform Marketplace, which the company launched to let approved mods sell through Tebex. That requirement isn't new — it's been baked into the FiveM agreement for a while — but Rockstar is now making it far more visible by spelling it out on its own site.

Taken together, the update reads less like a loosening of the rules and more like Rockstar tidying up and reinforcing lines it already had, right as GTA 6 approaches and scrutiny of what's allowed around its release is about to spike.