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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.
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<div class="field field--name-field-list-item-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The Heist </div>
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<div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-copy field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item">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.
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<div class="field field--name-field-list-item-title field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The Arcade</div>
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<div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-copy field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item">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. <br />
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
