GTA Online Introduces Highly Anticipated Feature After Nearly Ten Years

Rockstar Games has finally introduced one of the most highly requested features to GTA Online after more than a decade, which is expected to help clear up the PC lobbies.

If you’ve spent time in a GTA Online lobby on PC, chances are you’ve encountered a cheater. The types of cheats vary from players raining money from above, to those who can instantly eliminate enemies, and even some that impersonate Transformers.

This issue is not limited to PC players; it also affects console lobbies. However, it poses a more significant challenge for gamers who prefer using a keyboard and mouse over a controller.

Over the years, many players have urged Rockstar to implement an effective anti-cheat system. While Rockstar has made efforts to eliminate cheaters, having a dedicated third-party solution could greatly enhance their capabilities.

After more than a decade—marking the 11th anniversary of GTA 5’s launch—Rockstar has responded to these demands. From now on, PC players logging in will see a prompt for BattleEye, a third-party anti-cheat software designed to eliminate cheating in online lobbies.

9 years after release, Rockstar added a 3rd-party anti-cheat to #GTAV on PC.GTAV PC now has BattlEye.https://t.co/mHhu0KZJQ5 pic.twitter.com/u02GJk9umV

— Tez2 (@TezFunz2) September 17, 2024

This development has naturally generated significant excitement among fans. As one player noted, “Finally, lately it has become almost unplayable.” Another player expressed hope that “BattleEye isn’t just a band-aid over an infected wound; only time will tell,” added another participant.

However, there were also cautionary voices, as some players pointed out that BattleEye has been ineffective in other games. Additionally, reports have surfaced that it affects Steam Deck support.

Seems like #GTA V is now effectively *unplayable* on Steam Deck because (after nearly a decade) Rockstar added BattlEye and didn’t opt into supporting Linux. I suppose Valve can’t do anything to prevent this from happening over and over again? 😐 @Plagman2 @lawrenceyang pic.twitter.com/yYaFtWD0ET

— Timo Schmidt (@TDeckverse) September 17, 2024

The implementation of BattleEye could potentially lead Rockstar to align the GTA Online experience on PC with that of consoles, which may also pave the way for the highly anticipated next-gen update.

Moreover, players looking to engage in single-player modes with mods will be required to disable the anti-cheat option in their Rockstar Launcher settings.

Source