GTA Online's new round of bonuses and discounts are all dressed up in leather. Bikers is the DLC in focus these next two weeks with a range of special promotions specifically aimed at the members, or would-be members, of motorcycle clubs. There are some additional bonuses as well, however it's clear that "ride or die" is the operative motto here.
Bikers was released for GTA Online late last year, following a long and vocal fan campaign involving a highly popular petition (tell us again how petitions don't get results?) to get some biker themed content into the game. Rockstar delivered, with an entire MC game mechanic, as well as over a dozen bikes including those added in smaller post-launch mini-DLCs.
In terms of gameplay, the two major additions were businesses and motorcycle clubhouse contracts. The former got their bonus event treatment in the past, and this time it's the clubhouse contracts' turn to shine. Between the 2nd and 15th of May, all contracts will provide double rewards on both cash and RP.
If you haven't bought a clubhouse yet, intend to upgrade, or to jump into one of the many businesses available, your bank account will be grateful for the 25% discounts on clubhouses, decorations, and upgrades for both said clubhouses and business properties. You can check out our guides on running businesses most efficiently to make back your (somewhat smaller) investment as soon as possible.
But what is a biker without a bike? One of the most popular bikes in the game, the Nagasaki Shotaro, which is based on the light cycles from Tron, is available at a 25% discount. If you find yourself unable to buy it, keep in mind that in order for the bike to be unlocked you need to play a round of the Deadline Adversary Mode. Fitting the theme of the bike, this mode is basically light cycle battles adapted to GTA Online.
There are a number of other vehicles on offer as well, including the Progen T20, Nagasaki Buzzard, Western Company Annihilator, Vapid Trophy Truck and Desert Raid. The Karin Technical also got the same discount, on both prices. Heist-completion requirements were lifted recently, however if you want to buy the vehicle without "unlocking" it, you'll need to pay a higher price.
Biker gangs aren't known for their pacifism (well, okay, a few biker organizations in the real world are actually really nice people), and Rockstar is keen to help you finance all the lead you'll presumably be pumping into the bodies of your enemies. All explosive ammo is discounted, as are the rocket and grenade launchers you'll use to get them from point A to point B.
Of course, chances are other players have the same idea, so you've got to protect yourself. All vehicle and body armor is subject to the same discount, as are bulletproof tire upgrades for eligible vehicles. With the go-to assumption of other players in GTA Online being that they're hostile, armoring up can go a long way to saving on hospital bills.
Rockstar has also extended the bonuses that were active previously, meaning that special cargo deliveries will yield a bonus 25% in payouts, and the recently released Tiny Racers Adversary Mode will grant you double rewards. Rockstar is also kindly reminding players that the tax rebate that made some waves last week will be arriving to the in-game bank accounts within the next 7 or so days.
This week's dedication to Bikers, coupled with the approximation that the highly anticipated gunrunning update will be released this month, adds weight to current theories concerning the upcoming DLC being a continuation of, or at least linked to, Bikers.
The Open Road was introduced with Bikers as an analogy to the real world "silk road", an online secure clandestine network for the selling of illegal goods. The silk road became rather prominent in popular culture and was used in numerous works of fiction, with GTA Online just being one of many.
The whole underlying theme of the gunrunning update — hint: it's got something to do with the illegal sale of guns, not firearms competing in a sporting event — fits into this profile well. The three options were a link to CEO work, a link to Bikers and complete independence from previously established systems.
Since the whole CEO series of updates became the core gameplay mechanic of GTA Online as far as hardcore fans are concerned, it's easy to think that Rockstar wants to create another longer-running multi-part DLC series starting with Bikers. If our illegal weapons distribution business will be handled through the open-road, it will likely mean that more is to come in this vein.
These weekly and bi-weekly bonus events are useful for adding variety to money-making. We've distilled the perfect formula in our money-making guide, but mixing things up with a few double GTA$ activities is a welcome breath of fresh air. That said, nothing quite beats DLC release week in terms of exciting things to do, and this current Bikers focused event just ramps the anticipation higher — clearly the intended effect.
While we wait on gunrunning to get a release date, you can enjoy the clubhouse contracts while saving up cash for those militarized vehicles Rockstar teased along with the DLC itself.
