Rockstar slams the emergency button and announces big GTA Online update with a mission creator starring Michael that arrives next week

After a troubling couple of months involving another delay to GTA 6 and accusations of union busting after a round of sudden firings, Rockstar might be attempting to reclaim some goodwill by providing a large update to GTA Online. A Safehouse in the Hills brings some new missions, a swanky pad to crash in, and an appearance from the one and only, now older, Michael de Santa from GTA 5.

A Safehouse in the Hills centers on you getting into an uber-fancy house in one of the most prestigious areas of Los Santos. There's a stunning view, an AI assistant, your own private arcade, and a helicopter landing pad. Of course, it's all part of expanding your criminal empire – though your expertise is needed elsewhere.

A news post on the Rockstar website explains you'll ultimately have to "stop the development of a mass surveillance network" in the update, and going by the trailer, this is neither simple nor straightforward. But that's what you want from GTA Online, right?

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A Safehouse in the Hills will include a rigmarole of cars, costumes, and other customization options. But the most intriguing addition here is the new Mission Creator.

Apparently, this toolkit allows you to "design and publish" your own missions within the game world, including objectives, characters, and mechanics. GTA Online's community resources have been updated to account for these player-generated additions, and it may be worth your time checking those out before diving into the new feature.

This is all coming on December 10, just in time for Christmas. I'd say Santa has come early, but I'm not sure GTA Online is the kind of gift old Saint Nick would ever bring.

An immortal-looking Todd Howard thinks GTA 6 will be out before The Elder Scrolls 6, calls Rockstar "some of the absolute best" at world design