Rockstar removes nearly 200 vehicles from GTA Online’s stores to “streamline the experience”

Rockstar pushes more FOMO and GTA+ benefits

The GTA Online community is in uproar about Rockstar’s latest update for the game. Nearly 200 vehicles were removed from the in-game websites, where players could purchase them with regular in-game currency. Instead of these freely accessible websites, the cars will be added to “event showrooms, The Lucky Wheel, and other places” – these include the Vinewood Car Club, an in-game store only available to subscribers of the GTA+ service. GTA+ can only be bought by players on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, so players on PC or the last-gen consoles are out of luck when it comes to getting these vehicles.

Rockstar stated that the removed cars were “lesser-used vehicles” and that their removal would “streamline the browsing experience” on in-game websites, but players suspect very different motives behind this move – the search for more profit. Putting these cars behind a paywall is hard to interpret otherwise.

Even more sinister for many members of the community is the fact that putting vehicles into places with weekly rotations, i.e. making their availability time-limited, is essentially looking to exploit FOMO psychology to drive people into purchasing decisions. FOMO stands for “fear of missing out” and is a common psychological ploy driving microtransactions in video games – companies make content time-limited, putting pressure on their players to either engage with it or buy it immediately or risk never getting the chance to do so again.

It seems like a “filter by popularity” option on the in-game websites would have done the job if the true goal really was to make the experience better – as removing content from a game seldom does much to improve it. The way it looks right now the only thing this update seems to streamline is the cashflow into Rockstar's pockets.

Here’s a list of vehicles you can no longer purchase through the old channels after the recent update in GTA Online.

Southern San Andreas Super Autos

2-Doors:

• Peyote Gasser
• Zion Classic
• Nebula Turbo
• Issi Sport
• Vamos
• Futo
• Ruiner
• Romero
• Prairie
• Michelli GT
• Fagaloa
• Hermes
• Retinue
• Tornado Rat-Rod
• Massacro Racecar
• Jester Racecar
• Pigalle
• Blade
• Picador
• F620
• Fusilade
• Penumbra
• Sentinel
• Rat-Loader
• Schwartzer
• Zion Cabrio
• Zion
• Gauntlet
• Vigero
• Issi

4-Doors:

• Seminole Frontier
• Dynasty
• Tulip
• BeeJay XL
• FQ2
• Serrano
• Habanero
• Cheburek
• Streiter
• Franken Stange
• Jackal
• Oracle Xs
• Schafter
• Surge
• Warrener
• Regina
• Buffalo
• Buffalo S
• Tailgater
• Asea
• Granger
• Rancher XL
• Ingot
• Intruder
• Minivan
• Premier
• Radius
• Stanier
• Stratum
• Washington
• Asterope
• Fugitive
• Dilettante

Off-Roads:

• Hellion
• Riata
• Seminole
• Kalahari
• Rebel (Clean)
• Sanking SWB
• Bodhi
• Dune Buggy
• Rebel
• Injection
• Bison

Luxury:

• Landstalker XL
• Patriot
• Contender
• Landstalker
• Gresley
• Baller
• Cavalcade 2nd Gen
• Cavalcade
• Rocoto
• Felon GT
• Felon
• Oracle

Motorcycles:

• Wolfsbane
• Esskey
• Avarus
• Zombie Bobber
• Daemon (Bikers version)
• Rat-Bike
• Bagger
• Faggio Mod
• Fagio Sport
• Cliffhanger
• Enduro
• Nemesis
• Hakuchou
• Innovation
• Sovereign
• Hot Rod Blazer
• Bati 801RR
• Ruffian
• Vader
• Blazer
• PCJ 600
• Sanchez (both versions)
• Faggio
• Akuma
• Double-T
• Hexer

Legendary Motorsport

2-Doors:

• Tigon
• Imorgon
• Zorruso
• Locust
• Neo
• Paragon R
• S80RR
• Deviant
• Stafford
• Swinger
• Comet SR
• Hustler
• 190Z
• GT500
• Viseris
• Savestra
• SC1
• Cyclone
• Rapid GT Classic
• XA-21
• Torero
• Ruston
• GP1
• Raptor
• Lynx
• ETR1
• Tyrus
• RE-7B
• Seven-70
• 811
• Verlierer
• Brawler
• Coquette BlackFin
• Stirling GT
• Furore GT
• Jester
• Alpha
• Z-Type
• Stinger GT
• Stinger
• JB700
• Cheetah
• Entity XF
• Cognoscenti Cabrio
• Coquette
• Feltzer
• Infernus
• 9F Cabrio
• 9F
• Comet
• Vacca
• Bullet
• Carbonizzare
• Voltic
• Rapid GT Cabrio
• Rapid GT
• Surrano

4-Doors:

• Stafford
• Revolter
• Raiden
• XLS (both versions)
• Roosevelt Valor
• Roosevelt
• Cognoscenti 55 (both versions)
• Cognoscenti (both versions)
• Baller LE (both versions)
• Schafter LWB (both versions)
• Exemplar
• Super Diamond

Motorcycles:

• Thrust

Warstock Cache & Carry

• Verus
• Squaddie
• Lifeguard
• Blazer Lifeguard
• Mesa
• Liberator

Benny's

• Comet

In the meantime, Rockstar is continuing to work on GTA 6.