GTA Online's Vehicle Shakeup: A Quarter of Its Rides Removed in Latest Update

The popular and ever-changing world of Grand Theft Auto Online has seen a significant change in its latest update. Rockstar Games, the developer behind the hit franchise, has removed a staggering quarter of all previously available vehicles from the game. The massive San Andreas Mercenaries update, which landed on June 13, has caused both excitement and controversy with this surprising move.

This update promised improved quality-of-life aspects in addition to a wealth of new content for GTA Online. Developers decided to remove some "lesser-used" vehicles from in-game shops to "streamline" the overall browsing experience, as per their June 2 announcement. While this decision was initially met with some concern, the magnitude of the backlash only gained steam once players realized just how many vehicles were removed in the San Andreas Mercenaries update.

According to a list compiled by GTA Forums user MGgames100, Rockstar has taken away a total of 194 vehicles from the in-game shops. Prior to this update, GTA Online had peaked at 722 vehicles, as reported by third-party tracker GTA Base. This means that a significant 27% of the game's vehicle pool has been affected by the latest update. Notably, even some popular vehicles like the Comet SR and Cheburek have faced the chopping block.

Some members of the GTA Online community have expressed skepticism about the reasons behind the cutbacks. With Rockstar planning to reintroduce the removed vehicles via event showrooms and as gambling rewards from The Lucky Wheel, some fans suspect that the move is an attempt to monetize the game more aggressively. Such a change has also fueled speculation that the upcoming GTA 6 might feature real money transactions.

Although the removed vehicles can still be purchased from other players, it is likely to impact the list of best-selling vehicles in GTA Online, as artificial scarcity tends to raise prices. The used car market can be accessed at the Los Santos Car Meet (LSCM) building on Popular Street in East Los Santos for players on PC and current-generation consoles. As the exclusion of numerous vehicles unquestionably alters the dynamic of GTA Online, the player base eagerly anticipates the additional unexpected updates and features Rockstar may unveil down the line.