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Early look: After Hours could be the best GTA V update yet

Early look: After Hours could be the best GTA V update yet
Alex LaFreniere

Alex LaFreniere

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It’s finally here: after months of teasing and hype, Rockstar has finally rolled out the new After Hours update. It’s a massive batch of new content that’s going to change the face of GTA Online. Could it possibly be the best GTA Online update yet?

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Nightclubs are the biggest and most central addition coming with the After Hours update. Similarly to other updates (such as previously added Bunkers and Hangars), you can now buy nightclub properties in several locations around Los Santos. Once you’ve purchased a nightclub, you’ll get started building it from the ground up. Music, decor, entertainment: it’s all yours to choose. If this seems a bit overwhelming, don’t worry. You’ll have help, and who better to guide you in your journey into Los Santos’ nightlife scene than Tony Prince himself?

Yes, that’s right: Gay Tony is back, making his triumphant return from GTA IV. He’s here to act as your mentor as you work to build up your new club. New missions introduced in the update will have you acquiring staff and equipment as well as promoting the club. Once your club’s developed a reputation, you and your friends can enjoy all the benefits that owning a club has to offer. Did someone say bottle service?

The most important part of a club is having good music, and GTA has you covered. Rockstar has introduced a series of rotating resident DJs that will swing by your club in the weeks ahead. Solomun (July 24), Tale of Us (July 31), Dixon (August 4), and The Black Madonna (August 14) are the first four artists to be announced. We can’t wait to see who else will be showing up to add their musical talents to the mix.

It’s not all fun and games, though. Behind the scenes, your club is acting as a front for your criminal empire. While clubbers pack the dance floors above, you can fill your massive underground warehouse with your ill-gotten gains and run other missions from the command center. It seems like the perfect way to enjoy a life of high crime, with the club upstairs available for your enjoyment whenever you want to take a break from your shadier pastimes.

So, what are these shadier pastimes? Business Battles are a new ambient mission type for Freemode. Players with Organizations or MCs are able to track down randomly generated cargo items to add to their warehouse stockpile. Be warned: you’re probably not going to be the only one gunning for the cargo, so stay sharp.

There’s a whole host of other cool features being added with the After Hours update, not the least of which is a fleet of cool new vehicles available for purchase. Here’s the full list:

  • Dinka Jester Classic
  • Ocelot Swinger
  • Mammoth Patriot Stretch
  • Festival Bus
  • MTL Pounder Custom
  • Maibatsu Mule Custom
  • Vapid Speedo Custom

As an added bonus, you’ll get a Vapid Speedo Custom for free when you purchase a Nightclub. It’s a neat little bonus that your mechanic can upgrade with armor plating and machine guns.

The real bonuses come for members of the Rockstar Guest List. If you logged in between June 25th and July 2nd, you’ll gain access to a host of benefits, including new clothing, new vehicle customizations, and some steep vehicle discounts. You’ll also find a complimentary $350,000 added to your bank account, no questions asked. Rockstar has also promised more benefits to come for Guest List members, so stay tuned.

Topping off the new content is Rockstar’s After Hours Livestream series. If you’ve connected your Rockstar Social Club account with your Facebook account, tune into the Rockstar Games Facebook page for a weekly livestream that allows players in the chat chances to win random cash drops. The streams will run through mid-August, so you’ve got plenty of time to tune in.

So, to sum up: we’ve got a rotating schedule of A-List entertainment, a huge list of new vehicles, and a massive new nightclub playground to mess around in. Is this the best GTA V update yet? Yeah, it sure seems like it.

Alex LaFreniere

Alex LaFreniere

Alex's first experience with video games came at the tender young age of 12, when his parents gave him and his brothers a PlayStation 2 for Christmas. They’ve probably been regretting that mistake ever since, because as soon he finished his first lap in Gran Turismo 3, Alex was hooked for life. In addition to writing for Softonic, Alex has turned that love of games into a voice acting career, and has voiced everything from grizzled old soldiers to vampire lords. When he's not gaming or getting behind the microphone, Alex can probably be found wandering the woods around Boston or putting together some new culinary delight in his kitchen.

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