Rockstar Games has finally unveiled the previously teased Gunrunning update with some interesting details and a handful of screenshots, as well as provided a release window for this year's biggest DLC, coming next month!
Gunrunning was teased alongside the Special Vehicle Circuit update in the Cunning Stunts DLC-series, which was released earlier this year. However, Special Vehicle Circuit was hardly as major an update as Import/Export was in December or Further Adventures in Finance and Felony before that, and the players were growing anxious for the next major gameplay addition to the game.
The relative scarcity of DLC in 2017 up until now had fans worried as to how long support will be continued for GTA Online, especially with Red Dead Redemption 2 looming on the horizon. However, we've done our part to explain why you shouldn't worry. The recent delay of Rockstar's Wild West title should also help to lay fears to rest.
Gunrunning is lauded to be the biggest DLC of this year in terms of content, much like how Finance and Felony was 2016's biggest hit as well. The update, which will open a third venue of illegal business next to CEO work and motorcycle clubs is coming in June, with the exact date to be revealed later (possibly alongside a trailer). Our guess is that it will be either the 13th or the 20th, but we shall see.
Southern San Andreas' illegal weapons trafficking industry rises to the surface in Gunrunning, a massive new update coming this June to GTA Online.
We've finally caught a glimpse of what kinds of weaponized vehicles to expect from the update, and it seems to be a blend of two variations we had speculated about previously. The roster will include both existing, mundane GTA Online vehicles gone through extensive modifications to make them deadlier, as well as dedicated genuine military hardware.
Two vehicles have been revealed fully: the weaponized Tampa and the APC. The former takes the fan-favorite muscle car and tosses on a wealth of armor plus a minigun turret. The vehicle is reinforced and sports a roll-cage. It seems that the turret's loadout may be customized, as one clearly carries a single minigun, while the other vehicle in the same shot, as well as the one on another picture entirely, seem to have two barrels protruding from the turret.
The APC also features customizable weaponry. This more realistic take on a military vehicle seems like an ideal choice for moving your troops to the target area safely and providing cover once you're there. It is designed to traverse any kind of terrain, including water, and the selection of weapon variants contain a standard tank turret and a massive six-missile launch rack. The latter attachment seemingly answers our prayers for a heavily armored anti-air vehicle and looks like the kind of thing that will have Hydra griefers pissing themselves.
These two rides are clearly not the extent of the weaponized vehicles, not by a long shot. One of the most interesting teased features of the DLC is the "massive tactical, full-service Mobile Operation Centers" which aren't pictured in the screenshots. These sound like the kind of armored semi-trucks with a miniature military base set up in the trailer that your typical cackling supervillains roam around in, and we're very excited to learn more about it.
We also get a blurry glimpse of a third vehicle, though not many details can be made out. It seems to be a Humvee (also known as the single most over-used military vehicle in popular fiction) with a turret attachment sporting an armored shield. The Humvee's GTA incarnation was among the vehicles we mentioned on our wishlist of weaponized vehicles, among many others.
Stay tuned for more on Gunrunning, including specific business and research opportunities, details on the massive tactical, full-service Mobile Operation Centers complete with new weapon upgrades and deep customization, all new Weaponized Vehicles and more.
What's more is that, alongside our rolling truck-fortress of doom, we'll be getting secret underground lairs set up in bunkers. This new type of property to join offices, clubhouses and warehouses, bunkers are accessible through hatches located in remote areas in the countryside which will function as headquarters. Very likely these will fill the same role as CEO offices, meaning you'll need to buy one in order to get into the gunrunning business. They'll also likely be very, very expensive.
A screenshot showing off the exterior of one of these bunkers includes a banged-up and rusty Los Santos Airbase Bunker sign. It's possible that this sign is already present in the game, meaning players could presumably predict the location of one of these bunkers. The screenshots also show some of the functionality of these headquarters, as they will include firing ranges for you to hone your aiming skills.
Not many details about the actual gunrunning mechanic have been revealed, but it seems like it will be similar to the various CEO related jobs up until now. You'll need to acquire merchandise (guns in this case) take them to your bunker, then go on a mission to sell them to interested parties.
Dotted throughout Blaine County are hatches — look into these mysterious properties on the Maze Bank Foreclosure site and you'll find sprawling underground headquarters for sale, ready to be stocked with new military-grade vehicles and weapons manufacturing equipment capable of developing highly sought after offensive and defensive technologies
That said, the reveal includes hints about research opportunities and developing defensive and offensive technologies, meaning there might be more to this mechanic than just a reskin of Import/Export. Chances are that research will go into upgrading your vehicles and bunker, but it's also possible that instead of just re-selling the goods you steal, you'll be using supplies to produce new weapons mirroring the businesses of Bikers.
Information is vague at this point, but it seems like instead of slotting into either the CEO line of updates or Bikers, Gunrunning will be a hybrid between the two. Based on the multiple people present at the shooting range, we're guessing you'll be able to hire squadmates here as well, likely to form a militia or mercenary band.
As the addition of new weapons and clothing options should really go without saying, it does. Even though not a word is breathed of these new character items, they are displayed on a screenshot, and it's not like anyone was worried that an update called Gunrunning won't be adding new handheld weapons to the game! Military style enthusiasts will be happy to see that new thematic clothing items will also be making their way to GTA Online through this update.
We suspect there will be a wealth of playable content included alongside the main gunrunning mechanic too. Finance and Felony sported CEO challenges alongside crates, Bikers had clubhouse contracts and Import/Export introduced Special Vehicle Missions, so you can expect Gunrunning to also have some more traditional mission content.
Gunrunning is truly shaping up to be a this year's big hit and a breath of fresh air following the recent trend of generally car-focused updates with the various iterations of Cunning Stunts and Import/Export. We're eager to learn more about the DLC as the release date edges closer and find out how the world of GTA Online will be reshaped next month.
