'GTA V' is finally getting online heists in early 2015, see them in action here
It's no secret that four-player online heists are coming to Grand Theft Auto Online, but information on what Rockstar's new co-op missions will entail has remained scarce. Well, thanks to an in-depth interview with IGN and a brand new trailer (embedded below), we're finally getting an idea of what we can expect when the company drops the long-awaited DLC early next year. According to GTA Online producer Imran Sarwar, the update will deliver "five unique strands involving over 20 total missions, which will add up to around 20 hours of gameplay." Each online mission will require four players who have levelled to rank 12 or higher, with one player assigned the role of leader.
To lead a heist, you'll need to own an expensive apartment that provides enough room to accommodate your planning board. It's from there you'll be able to embark on each heist. Sarwar says you will be required to do some of the early preparation work before you call in the rest of your team, which includes picking the right people to join your crew, assigning them a role, choosing outfits and working out how you'll split the loot.
Sometimes you might not want to be the leader, so Rockstar has ensured that each crew member has unique roles -- like hacking a network or jacking a car -- each time you perform a raid, incentivizing you can play them over and over. "Each finale is a big set-piece mission with players taking on multiple roles," Sarwar tells IGN. "All through this, players will be gaining access to new vehicles, new weapons, new items and new clothing, as well as visiting some surprising locations and interacting with some familiar characters from the story."
To reward players, Rockstar will offer incentives depending on how you complete GTA Online's heists. You'll get special rewards for playing each one in order with the same crew, extra bonuses for doing it all in first-person mode (on PlayStation 4, Xbox One or PC) and cash rewards if you manage to complete missions with a certain criteria -- time, damage and accuracy will be key here.
If you're wondering why it's taken so long for online heists to arrive, Sarwar admits that creating the perfect online dynamic was "more difficult than we anticipated. Every time we thought we were close, something would send us back to square one." Unfortunately there's still no official word on when the update will come to all available platforms, but at least now you can begin to draw your own conclusions on whether it'll be worth the wait.
[Image credit: IGN]
