The highly anticipated Heists DLC for Grand Theft Auto Online has been confirmed to release with the PC version of the game on January 27, 2014.
This date is right on track with what developer Rockstar originally said for the DLC's release, with the most recent confirmation reassuring players that the plans haven't changed.
The Heists DLC was originally referred to as the Christmas DLC in December when players believed that it would launch before the new year, but the January 27 date is now looking much more likely to coincide with the release of the game for the PC market.
But as renowned GTA YouTuber DomisLive points out, the release window for Heists is confusing, with the possibility of launch stretching from January all the way to March. This speculation on what would essentially be a delay is due to the fact that Heists is expected in "Q1 2015" which could be any time from now until March.
But the real indicator here is in a recent Heists trailer that reveals that the DLC will be coming to all major platforms, including Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Since PC is included in that list, it only makes sense that we won't see Heists until at least the 27th of January.
On top of this, a Valentine's Day DLC is expected in February, so the chance of seeing two DLC content updates so close together would be unlikely.
GTA Online Heists is a multiplayer DLC pack that brings unique multiplayer missions to the world of GTA Online. These elaborate story missions were first introduced in GTA: Vice City and have been featured in GTA: San Andreas, GTA IV, and GTA V, but the new DLC is said to focus entirely on the multiplayer mission type.
According to the description at the official Grand Theft Auto Wikia page, "In Grand Theft Auto V, the major heists typically begin with a meeting of the three protagonists: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and Trevor Philips. The player is presented with options on how to approach the proposed mission. For example, they could choose to enter a building stealthily from the roof, or burst through the front door."
From there, the missions would require the help of a specialist like a hacker or a driver to finish up the mission. These Heist missions are described as elaborate and will take the skill of all players on the team to work together successfully.
"Once the player has some clear objectives and hires the specialists they require, they must perform a series of sub-missions," the description continues. "These include: stealing vehicles which carry equipment being used for the job (like weaponry, knockout gas, intercepting vehicles or emergency vehicles for disguising the player), finding a place to stash the Getaway Vehicle, and buying some suits and masks to wear during the heist. An achievement/trophy will be unlocked for each heist when completed."
These Heist missions in GTA Online will only be available when all four players in the team are rank 12 or above, with one being the Heist Leader. Revealed missions so far include a prison bus bust involving infiltrating the LSPD, stealing jets from an aicraft carrier, robbing the Fleeca bank on the Great Ocean Highway, stealing a sports car in transit with the use of a Cargobob, and raiding a luxury yacht similar to Dignity.
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online are now currently out for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4, and will be coming on January 27 to the PC.
