Rockstar Games massive new GTA Online expansion — an island called Cayo Perico — went live on December 15.
Ahead of launch Rockstar described as the game’s largest DLC to date, with the promise that Cayo Perico will let up to three players rob a drug compound in the game’s first-ever “soloable” heist mission.
Despite adding so much new content to the game - it is an entire island after all - all players want to know one thing: Is it free roam? And if not, does Rockstar plan to make it free roam in the future?
Let's discuss.
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Will Cayo Perico have free roam?
Update - The GTA Online Cayo Perico update is now live and players have confirmed that the new Cayo Perico Island is NOT available to explore in Free Roam. It's possible this could change in the future, but for now, it's not an area players can explore in free roam within GTA Online, right now. Stay tuned for updates throughout 2021.
Original Story - At this point, Rockstar’s choosing its words pretty carefully, which means older platforms like the PS4 and Xbox One have likely put a lot of limitations on what the developers could facilitate in the Cayo Perico update.
Yes, GTA Online’s community loves free-roam mode for role-playing, “car meets,” and a wide variety of mission types. A poll at GTAforums.com shows that the vast majority of users believe the island will be “freely explorable.” But just because players expect or want free rein on this new island paradise doesn’t mean it’ll happen.
“Looking at the results of this poll, it seems like a lot of people will be disappointed,” Rockstar insider Yan2295 said in a recent forum post.
Meanwhile, it’s worth looking at the way Rockstar has chosen to describe the update thus far. There’s no language connoting exploration or free-roam activities; the focus remains on the heist itself. But the team does specifically promise “new social spaces to dance and party in with your friends.” That sounds a lot like the Diamond Casino to me.
It’s best to manage your expectations until we know more.
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The Cayo Perico heist
“On Tuesday, December 15, GTA Online raises the stakes once again with its biggest update yet: the Cayo Perico Heist, featuring an all-new exotic location and a brand-new approach to heist design that for the first time will let players tackle the entire heist solo or with a crew of up to three other players,” Rockstar said in an email.
“Along with the challenge of finding a way to infiltrate and rob one of the most secure private islands in the world, players can also expect new social spaces to party with friends, new world-class DJs, and radio stations with over 100 new songs, plus a host of vehicles and weapons, a heavily armed submarine HQ, and much more.”
A standalone release of GTA Online is expected to launch in 2021, along with new versions of GTA 5 optimized for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.