GTA Online players stole $4 trillion in one week, so they're all getting a free car

GTA Online screen
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Rockstar Games held a "Heists Challenge" event in Grand Theft Auto Online in 2020 that included rewards for the entire community if players could collectively steal at least $100 million—in GTA dollars, of course—in a single week. The community responded by stealing 10 times as much—$1 trillion—before the event was over. So for 2022, Rockstar upped the ante to $2 trillion—and once again, players proved more than up to the task.

Rockstar revealed today that players made off with an "absolutely staggering" $4 trillion, doubling Rockstar's target, which was itself double what players managed to take home in the 2020 event. Because of that most impressive accomplishment (which will no doubt come back to haunt players in the next Heist Challenge, but that's a problem for later), the Declasse Tahoma Coupe, an extremely sexy retro-styled machine, will be free for everyone for a limited time in an update coming later in December.

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

That is one sweet-looking ride. Believe it or not, I owned the real-life equivalent of that car when I was much, much younger—although mine had less supercharger, and more rust. 

The December update will make a number of other changes and adjustments to GTA Online, many of them based on feedback provided by players.

General improvements

  • Get to your favorite iFruit Contacts faster — select which Contacts to display or hide via the Interaction Menu.
  • The Benefactor Terrorbyte can be used to launch Business Sell Missions in all Session types, including Invite-only Sessions.
  • Take on Agatha’s Casino Story Missions as a solo operator by visiting the Management Office of The Diamond Casino & Resort (these missions previously required at least 2 players).
  • PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will add ray-traced reflections — rendering real-time reflections on many surfaces — via the Fidelity Mode graphics setting.

Vehicle updates

  • New vehicle purchases will arrive in your Garage faster than before.
  • Select Custom Weaponized Vehicles can now be used in Races, where appropriate — weapons will be disabled outside of GTA Races.
  • Bicycles will be added to the list of vehicles that can be requested from your Personal Garage when calling the Mechanic.
  • Players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S can enjoy full access to Hao’s Special Works without needing to complete Hao’s introductory race.

Economy updates

  • Completing Vehicle Cargo Sell Missions in Public Sessions will award a High Demand Bonus, bringing this in line with all other business activities, while payouts on Smuggler’s Sell Missions will be permanently tripled.
  • Get more of what you want faster with an across-the-board increase in the GTA$ value of all Shark Cards. Starting today, all Shark Card denominations have been boosted by 20–25% when purchased directly in GTA Online or via any of the platform stores. For special GTA+ Member Shark Cards, this is on top of the current 15% bonus GTA$.

Rockstar said the December update is "the first installment of a massive multi-part update taking you all across the expanse of Southern San Andreas, featuring some familiar faces and a new troupe of entrepreneurial misfits on a mission to expand the minds of the citizens of Los Santos, one trip at a time." New vehicles, world events, contact missions, and other new content are also on the way.

"Thank you all so much for playing such a huge part in the continued growth and exciting new highs for GTA Online, and for all your valuable and constructive feedback," Rockstar said. "Please keep it coming, we look forward to implementing more of your ideas and requests as we continue to build on the GTA Online experience with each update."

A date for GTA Online's December update hasn't been announced.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.