What may be the most influential DLC of GTA Online, and definitely the biggest this year, is now available.
The Doomsday Heist previously got an explosive trailer and while that trailer conveyed the fact that it was going to make a big splash, we didn't quite expect a DLC of this scale.
The Doomsday Heist adds a new narratively driven heist to GTA Online, in three acts. Promising tougher enemies and a huge payout, this is the heist that might change the perception of there being no end-game content in GTA Online. We said "might" because it's too early for a verdict — seeing as no-one has finished the heist yet.
The premise of The Doomsday Heist reads like a movie trying to out-James Bond James Bond. A sinister organization is trying to induce a nuclear apocalypse and billionaire Avon Hertz's homegrown AI discovered this plot. They task master hacker Lester Crest with putting together a crack team to stop the villains and that is where you come in — after all, who better to stop criminals than other criminals?
The Doomsday Heist is a new approach, playing out differently than the mainline heists from the eponymous update back in 2015.
Mixing a bit of the Finance and Felony archetype into the flow, players need to purchase a special IAA Facility property to initiate the new missions. However instead of your typical "supply-wait-sell", the missions are geared to 2-4 players and are similar to heist set-ups. Facilities range in price from GTA$ 1,250,000 to 2,950,000.
The Doomsday Heist is technically three heists in one. They move forward the story sequentially, however each of the three "acts" alone is longer than The Pacific Standard Job. They all have various set-up missions that, as opposed to being instanced, play out in freemode, and a final instanced (and heavily scripted) finale. Each of the three finales reward you with massive payouts, however it's too early to tell exactly how much money one can make from this DLC.
Some of these Freemode set-up missions will even pit heist teams against other groups of players advancing in their own Doomsday Heist progression, bringing PvP to a heist for the first time. Since the special heist teams for this DLC are made up of either associates or members of your motorcycle club, in the case of the latter you can call in help during the Freemode missions, boosting your team to 8 members.
A DLC of this size naturally means a massive influx of new content besides the missions themselves, and if you're going to try and stop the nuclear holocaust, you're going to need some flashy equipment.
In terms of weapons, you can update your arsenal with MKII upgrades now available for the Pump Shotgun, Special Carbine, Marksman Rifle, Heavy Revolver, Bullpup Rifle and SNS Pistol. These can be applied either in the weapons workshop of the MOC, or the Avenger — your new flying HQ.
A number of new vehicles have also been added, including — for the first time in GTA 5 — a jetpack. I mean, there are a ton of vehicles in this DLC, but the jetpack is all everyone's going to care about. Called the Thruster, because obviously, the jetpack got quite the visual overhaul since debuting in GTA: San Andreas, it looks more like the product of venture funded R&D rather than something a crazy inventor cobbled together in a garage.
Of course, when you're talking about something as absolutely amazing as a jetpack, you know there is a hefty price attached. The full price of the Thruster clocks in at GTA$ 3,657,500, while the discounted price is GTA$ 2,750,000.
Other, less interesting vehicles from Warstock (granted, only slightly so) include the Volatol bomber, the futuristic Akula helicopter, the even more futuristic Khanjali tank, the Barrage, the fearsome Chernobog, the RCV, the Stromberg and the Deluxo, which is a transforming DeLorean. The most expensive item on the menu is the full priced Deluxo which will set you back GTA$ 4,721,500 (which is also one of the most visually annoying prices in the game).
More mundane vehicles added in this DLC include the Comet Safari, Ocelot Pariah, Coil Raiden, Ubermacht SC1, Vapid Riata and Declasse Yosemite. This is one of the biggest vehicle drops the game has seen since it was launched.
By purchasing a Facility, you not only unlock the ability to engage in The Doomsday Heist, but also gain access to strike teams and a freaking orbital cannon. Since the Railgun, this is the first time GTA went sci-fi, and though it's kinda been the case for a while now, we've officially stepped away from this game being about stealing cars and robbing banks.
Of course, you'll need to buy the orbital cannon. Since we're talking about a super-advanced piece of futuristic military technology, the price tag of GTA$ 900,000 seems cheap at first, but there's a catch. Reloading the thing costs GTA$ 750,000. Every. Single. Shot. Additionally, you can only use it once every real-world day. There is an achievement tied to it, so it's likely the thing you'll get and only ever use once just to unlock that.
Since you've made the sudden transition from street criminal to super hero/villain, you've going to need a fitting vehicle. Since Helicarriers are trademarked by Marvel, the next best thing was an oversized Osprey-stand-in with a weapons workshop and lab inside it. The Avenger (checkmate, Marvel) is a VTOL aircraft outfitted with turrets and heavy armor, and is basically a MOC that flies.
Not only does The Doomsday Heist bring a new set of achievements to the game, but adds Elite Challenges to each individual act which increase the payout. Additionally, the Criminal Mastermind Challenge makes a comeback for this DLC, giving skilled teams a massive one-time payout if they go through the entire three acts in one sitting without a death. A general reward for completing the heists in any manner is a perk from Lester which lets you get rid of your wanted level for free.
The Doomsday Heist also brings your usual helping of a bunch of new character customization options in the shape of clothing items, tattoos and haircuts. Since there is already an unmanageable amount of these in the game, you'll likely be happy to hear that an additional 10 new outfit slots have also been added, allowing you to save more looks for your character. Also, for the first time since the game launched, a new radio station has been added to GTA Online — Blonded Los Santos 97.8 FM, which plays the likes of Frank Ocean.
To celebrate one of the biggest DLC drops in the history of GTA Online, Rockstar has a few goodies lined up. Since you'll be building your heist team for the new challenges from your associates, it seemed fitting to double the salary of them and bodyguards for the next week.
Additionally, there are some major discounts running at Ammunation this week, allowing you to outfit yourself appropriately for saving the world from a malicious organization. Enjoy a 25% discount off SMGs, Pistols, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles, Machine Guns, Body Armor, Explosives, Throwables and Luxury Finishes.
As always, there's also a Snapmatic contest running, where the winner takes home GTA$ 1,000,000 — which, admittedly, with these prices, isn't a whole lot. In order to win your snap needs to focus on new content, and be submitted before the 18th.
Keep an eye on our feed for our upcoming comprehensive The Doomsday Heist guide.
