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GTA 5 Online’s free update, Diamond Casino Heist, launches today, and there’s a lot to unpack. 

The Context

Petrochemical magnates have taken ownership of Diamond Casino and Resort away from Tao Cheng and the Triads – and the Cheng family is not happy. Georgina Cheng, VP of Cheng Holdings, has enlisted lovable hacker Lester Crest and the rest of his crew, including a rapper named Yung Ancestor (played by Danny Brown), to get revenge. With these eccentric characters as teammates, players will infiltrate the casino, break into the vault, and steal all its contents.

Unlike, prior heists this one adapts to your actions and allows for improvisation no matter what happens. This means there is no failure unless you die.  

The Heist

Like the single-player story missions, this new heist gives online players options on how to approach the robbery. After registering as a VIP/CEO/MC President and purchasing an Arcade (via the Maze Bank Foreclosure website), players can begin planning the heist through setup missions. 

Setup missions focus on information gathering, either alone or cooperatively, so the player can make an informed decision on which approach to take.

  • Stealth – Approach that gives players the option to enter the Casino Vault undetected, giving them the maximum amount of time to steal its contents. Players using the stealth approach will meet the least amount of resistance during the Heist.
  • The Big Con – This plan tasks players with deceiving their way into the Vault with the use of disguises, requiring tact to maximize the take.
  • The Direct Approach – This is a full-frontal assault on the Casino, which is likely to be met with extreme resistance as players force their way towards the Vault.

After planning for the heist, players will have to prepare for it by doing a few “Heist Prep Missions.” These missions allow players to choose which equipment and personal they take along for the heist. Depending on the chosen approach the personal and equipment will vary. For instance, if players choose the “Big Con” option, they might get Fire Dept uniforms to gain access to the vault. 

With all the prep work completed players can initiate the heist and invite up to three other players to join them (at least two players must participate in each heist). 

With everything in check, the robbery, either violent or non-lethal, will play out. 

The Arcade

The arcade, a new addition in this update, offers more than just initiating the Diamond Casino Heist: It’s a fully functional arcade. Players can buy new décor styles, arcade cabinets, and games to play. Just like Nightclubs, players can enjoy one another’s arcades. 
Here are all available arcade titles:

  • Badlands Revenge II
  • The Wizard’s Ruin
  • Race & Chase (3 versions available – Street Legal in supercars, Get Truckin’ in 4x4s, or Crotch Rockets on motorcycles)
  • Space Monkey 3: Bananas Gone Bad
  • Shiny Wasabi Kitty Claw
  • Nazar Speaks Fortune Teller
  • Love Match: The Love Professor
  • Street Crimes: Gang Wars Edition
  • Invade & Persuade II
  • Defender of the Faith (Degenatron classic) 
  • Monkey’s Paradise (Degenatron classic)
  • Penetrator (Degenatron classic)

Other activities within the Arcade include:

  • A Jukebox, allowing players to select from a list of genres containing chiptune versions of familiar tracks. Radio Mirror Park and WWFM are also selectable.
  • A Bar area, where players can drink with friends or serve beverages to visitors
  • A Television, where players can sit and watch shows or play Don’t Cross The Line
  • A Safe in the Management Office, where Arcade owners can collect takings generated over time by the Arcade Business

New Free-mode Collectibles and Activities

  • The Los Santos Slasher – Players can now catch the infamous serial killer by finding 5 mysterious clues hidden across the map. After finding the last clue, the killer will hunt down the player. Be careful, he may come when you’re most vulnerable. Killing the killer will reward a new weapon – the Navy Revolver.
  • Signal Jammers – 50 government Signal Jammers can be destroyed across Southern San Andres. Upon destroying them, the player is rewared with cash, RP bonuses, and access to the hacker Avi Schwarzman. 

New Radio Stations

A new radio station, iFruit Radio has been added to the game, hosted by rapper Danny Brown and featuring British MC and Producer Skepta. 

Full Track List: 

  • Cash Shit by Megan Thee Stallion ft. DaBaby
  • Crime Pays by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
  • Greaze Mode by Skepta ft. Nafe Smallz
  • 100k on a Coupe by PopSmoke
  • I Need by slowthai
  • Dance in the Water by Danny Brown
  • Everything She Wants by Egyptian Lover
  • Killin Dem by Burna Boy ft. Zlatan
  • Kiss and Tell by AJ Tracey & Skepta
  • Kitchen Kings by D-Block Europe
  • Knock Your Block Off by JME ft. Giggs
  • Highest in the Room by Travis Scott
  • Hot (Remix) by Young Thug ft. Gunna and Travis Scott
  • Pop Star by DaBaby ft. Kevin Gates
  • Money in the Bank by Kranium ft. AJ Tracey
  • Must Be by J Hus
  • Ready to Go    by Baauer x Channel Tres ft Danny Brown
  • Original Format    D by Double E & Watch the Ride ft. DJ Die & Dismantle & DieMantle & DJ Randall
  • Wings by Shoreline Mafia
  • With the Thing by Alkaline
  • Back to Basics (Floating Points Remix) by Headie One ft. Skepta
  • Act Up by City Girls
  • AL1ENZ by Denzel Curry ft. YBN Cordae
  • W by Koffee ft. Gunna
  • BOP by DaBaby
  • Opotoyi (Marlians) by Naira Marley
  • Numb Numb Juice by ScHoolboy Q: CrasH Talk 
  • Pattern Chanel by Essie Gang ft. Sq Diesel

Other New Additions

  • Underground Hideout – Safe House where players can plan the heist and use a terminal to manage all their missions
  • Nano Drone – Unlocked in new hideout this drone can be driven remotely to spy on other players, shock pedestrians, and self-destruct 
  • Optional Heist Purchases – Players can buy items like a model of the casino, fake fault door, and fake keypad to practice their burgling skills. 
  • New Vehicles For Purchase – Karin Everon, Lampadati Komoda, Maxwell Asbo, Maxwell Vagrant, Vapid Retinue MKII, Rebla GTS, Fire Truck, Bugstar Van, Gruppe Sechs Stockade
  • Various New Clothes 
  • New Player Actions – Call Me, Respect, Air Drums, Coin Roll and Toss, Bang Bang, Mind Blown
  • New WeaponVom Feuer Ceramic Pistol becomes available for purchase upon completing the casino heist via the “Big Con” approach
  • Twitch Prime Benefits – Rockstar Games Social Club members who link their accounts with Twitch Prime by Sunday, December 8, can get the Pixel Pete’s Arcade property for free. 
  • Number of Small tweaks – Fixes to frequency of phone calls and text messages received on iFruit phone, limitations on player use of Oppressor MKII and Easy Way Out, and other various small improvements.