GTA Online update finally lets you fight back against griefers without penalty

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The new GTA Online update tackles griefing in a couple of big ways

GTA Online The Criminal Enterprises
(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

A new GTA Online update tackles the ever-present issue of griefing in a number of potentially impactful ways.

Launching alongside the big Criminal Enterprises update on Tuesday, July 26, the patch includes a laundry list of general gameplay changes as requested by players via the GTA Online feedback website. Crucially, a few of these changes are aimed squarely at minimizing the impact of griefers on other players, and they sound like genuinely meaningful improvements.

When the update goes live, players will no longer have to shell out money when they destroy another player's weaponized personal vehicle, which means you can finally defend yourself against griefers without penalty in those instances. 

Another big one is that your K/D (kill/death) ratio will no longer reflect kills made in Freemode "to reduce instances of griefing." Instead, that statistic will only change based on what happens during competitive gameplay. That should go a long way to disincentivize griefers looking to improve their K/D ratio in Freemode.

That's not all - the update will also let you complete Sell Missions in private invite-only sessions, which again, means you won't have to worry about griefers getting in the way anymore. "You’ll be able to register as a VIP, CEO, or MC President in Invite Only, Crew, and Friend Sessions, allowing business owners to source and sell at their own pace or with their friends," reads a bit from the patch notes.

Another change seemingly giving the middle finger to griefers is a big nerf on the obnoxious Pegassi Oppressor Mk II hoverbike. Namely, the effectiveness of its homing missiles has been reduced, and its countermeasures will have increased cooldowns and fewer uses.

Finally, for the griefers who prefer to do their terrorizing on the race track, the new GTA Online update has a couple of welcome surprises on that front as well. The special vehicle race creator will have "Ghost to First Checkpoint" and "Anti Grief Ghosting" options to ghost players driving in the wrong direction.

The full update makes changes from everything to vehicle customization to business protections and upgrades, but it's good to see such a large chunk of it dedicated to combatting griefing. 

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Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.