GTA 6: locking core identity behind a $20 upgrade kills hype

Grand Theft Auto has always been as much about looking fly as it has been about shooting, car chases and seedy criminal activity — driving around in tricked-out cars, nipping to the barbershop for a nicer haircut, and spending riches on parodied designer clothing and jewellery.

I never expect to have to cough up too much of my own real-life finances to do that, but if GTA 6's Ultimate Edition is anything to go by, that's exactly what I'll be doing. Rockstar is calling it the game's ultimate edition, but the $80 version already feels like a Lite Edition when the $20 upgrade locks off parts of the experience.

The developer is putting entire stores on the map of Leonida that won't be accessible unless you cough up the $20 upgrade — not just an outfit or two, but whole locations. As far as we know, five stores are paywalled: two mod shops, a clothing store, a salon, and a tattoo parlour, all offering customisation options that feel integral to the series' identity.

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