Various GTA Online players reported throughout the day that the service was unavailable for hours. Some players still cannot access Online, though most have been able to log in since. With the upcoming Import/Export DLC having been announced to launch sometime December, and the current bonus event is being cut short on the 12th, chances are the update will be launching on the 13th.
While server downtime doesn't precede all DLC releases, occasionally Rockstar takes GTA Online down for a short while to do some prep work before a major update is released that potentially affects existing systems. This fact, coupled with Import/Export being a continuation of Further Adventures in Finance and Felony, seems to further support the idea that the update is inbound.
Generally, Rockstar always releases GTA Online DLC on a Tuesday. Import/Export was announced for December, and with the halfway mark of the month approaching, it was likely that they wouldn't hold off too long, since the second stretch of December will likely be dedicated to yet another Festive Surprise.
We covered what kind of content we could be looking forward to this December, however, much of that was speculative. Later, we reported on a pretty extensive leak regarding the content of Import/Export. While the leaker had a good track record, these things must always be considered suspect.
It was the detailing of the most recent round of GTA Online bonuses that truly tipped players off about the release date of Import/Export. This event, focused mostly on CEOs (who will be central to Import/Export), won't run for a full week as usual, but instead will conclude on Monday, the 12th of December.
The only reason to cut short such an event on a Monday is because the next Tuesday would see the release of new DLC, which in turn would kick off yet another event. This, coupled with all the other signs pointing to a release date of Tuesday, 13th of December all but confirm it.
Today's connection issues likely stemmed from Rockstar pre-loading elements of the update and setting things up on the front-end to ensure a smooth transition come Tuesday. Updates that simply add new content without touching any old systems don't need this kind of preparation since fewer things can go wrong, but according to both the announcement post and the leak, Import/Export will be closely linked wit Further Adventures in Finance and Felony.
The whole vehicle theft mechanic of the update will work similar to how crate missions do, and will be accessed through SecuroServe. While this hasn't been discussed yet, chances are an executive office — which start at one million and get more expensive — will be needed to initiate these missions too.
We know for a fact that the update will be doubling the current personal vehicle storage capacity for players of GTA Online with all new Executive Garages. These garages will be expandable with 20 slot floors up to a maximum of 60 vehicle slots, which add to your existing 6 property slots — and let's not forget that clubhouse that can store 10 bikes. Yep, that's 130 vehicles, baby.
The most notable asset of Import/Export, however, is its new take on an old concept. While, after all these whacky updates, "grand", "theft" and "auto" all individually describe GTA Online well, it will be this newest DLC that combines them and gives sense to the title once more.
Forget those pesky Simeon assignments which pay like ass. Steal cars like a CEO" title=""> instead. These high-value vehicle thefts will be comprised of complicated steal missions that will require teamwork and the use of special vehicles, which can be unlocked through unique missions.
Once you've grabbed the designated vehicle, you'll take it back to your all new Vehicle Warehouse, where you can repaint and modify stolen rides. You can get a quick easy buck for unmodified rides, while accepting tougher sell jobs will line your pockets upfront to pay for those neat mods the buyer expects you to install.
There is still much we don't know about the upcoming DLC, however, thanks to that leak we have something of a clearer picture. If it turns out to be legitimate, we can expect some pretty insane new specialized vehicles — which we can use in Freemode. Granted, three of these are some variation on "car with wedge", having a jumping Voltic and two amphibious rides will be neat.
Nonetheless, Import/Export is being set up to be one damn big update, since Rockstar is keen in finishing 2016 on a high note. This return-to-the-roots may just be what GTA Online needs right now after things like Cunning Stunts took the game even farther away from the base concept. In any case, we'll all see how much of this is true come Tuesday.
Do you think GTA Online will get its latest update this Tuesday?
