GTA V Independence Day Special Update Celebrates America

To celebrate the birth of our nation, Rockstar has released the Independence Day Special update for Grand Theft Auto 5's GTA Online, full of ‘Murican goodies like new vehicles, gear and clothes, as well as new features and gameplay tweaks.

Two new vehicles are included, and they’re as American as apple pie, baseball and income inequality. The Sovereign motorcycle is an old-school bike manufactured by GTA’s version of Harley-Davidson, Western Motorcycles. The Liberator is a gigantic monster truck that resembles Grave Digger, but with an American flag motif.

The update is brought to you in part by Ammu-Nation, proud supporters of the Second Amendment, and their stores will have new weapons for sale as a result of the update. Deadly over long ranges, the high-powered Antique Musket recalls a simpler time when Americans longed to lose their British accents. The Firework Rocket Launcher, on the other hand, is a more modern take on the Fourth of July, blasting enemies with colorful but deadly explosives.

Decking out your character for the big holiday will be much easier with the Independence Day Special’s new patriotic gear. Players can proudly don a “Made in the USA” T-shirt while letting the wind blow through their backwoods mullet haircut. A new Bald Eagle mask is also included for players who like to show their national pride in a more extreme fashion.

In addition to seven new properties for players to buy, the Independence Day Special will add a new fireworks feature to all properties, allowing players to celebrate Independence Day with their own backyard displays. Four types of fireworks can be purchased from Ammu-Nation and fired off from players’ inventories with different fuse lengths.

Numerous gameplay tweaks and improvements will be included with this update, including an on-call matchmaking function that allows players to continue playing in Freemode after accepting a Job invite until the room fills up. Changes to the Mental State feature have been made that prevent players from being labelled as dangerous for simply defending themselves or trying to claim a bounty. Finally, the Ferris Whale and Leviathan Roller Coaster can be ridden by players, making Pleasure Pier more than just a bunch of pretty lights. A full list of game fixes and tuning can be found at the Rockstar Support Site.

To download the free Independence Day Special, players simply need to fire up GTA Online and say, "Yes," to the automatic update. Xbox 360 players, however, will need to download an additional compatibility pack. Rockstar advises gamers to keep an eye out for another announcement tomorrow regarding the four-day Independence Day Weekend event, so loyal San Andreans should stay tuned for more details.