Yesterday's unannounced GTA Online update which added a new car, free shirt and new discounts to the game has finally been unveiled by Rockstar on their Newswire. The update also includes a new Adversary Mode which wasn't made available before the official reveal went up.
The update was noticed yesterday after Steam users saw the client update the game with a 55.2 MB patch. The small size first made players assume it was just a handful of tweaks, however some eagle-eyed players noticed that a new car has snuck into the game. A few discounts were also noticed, alongside a free T-shirt awarded to anyone who logged on.
The whole thing smelled like a weekly event with a tiny DLC attached, however no official announcement was posted about it. While updates going live before the Newswire post isn't new, this was the longest time in between the two. The update was also updated (so meta) today with further content.
GTA Online has received yet another Adversary Mode, which is something of an amalgamation of existing game mechanics. Power Play is your typical team deathmatch spiced up with all kinds of crazy power-ups that hearken back to the heyday of competitive shooters. Big circular icons floating a few inches above ground will grant you various wacky advantages over the enemy.
Beasted will turn the user into the beast from Freemode Events, including all of the special powers; Zoned will activate bullet-time for all players; Doped will obscure the sight of enemies with a green haze; Raging will increase damage dealt and decrease damage taken for your whole team; Flipped will change the camera controls of the enemy team and scramble team chat and finally Dark will take your team off the radar.
Honestly, Flipped seems to be the most intuitive and interesting of all these power ups which really can mess with the enemy. While the power ups may make this Adversary Mode fun for a few rounds and good fodder for Youtube videos, we're guessing it won't hit the same status of being a classic like Slasher or Sumo.
GTA Online's fascination with Adversary Modes has always been something of a double edged sword. The modes allow the developers to explore fun gameplay ideas that wouldn't fit into the proper game and are simple enough to be churned out, however they are all plagued by low populations.
Rockstar hopes to boost the player base of Power Play by offering a week-long double RP and GTA $ promo on the new mode. Just jump into the event playlist and watch as the cash rewards roll in twice as fast. There are currently three maps available for this new Adversary Mode but you can expect more to come.
The new super car, which is not only the fastest but the most expensive ride in the game, has also finally been officially inaugurated. The car, as well as two others, were first leaked soon after the release of the Further Adventures in Finance and Felony update. Chances are Rockstar is going for another weekly release schedule for each car.
The new free t-shirt that is rewarded to anyone logging in to GTA Online while the event lasts is adorned with the Grotti logo, in celebration of the all new X80 Proto. This shirt was also released ahead of schedule, yesterday. There are some 50% discounts going for Valkyries, all Swift variants and the Toro, as well as a 33% markdown for all homing launchers to dissuade Hydra griefers.
Have you bought the new car yet? What are your impressions of the new Adversary Mode that has been added to GTA Online?
