GTA V Protagonists

Grand Theft Auto V fans have been waiting for the addition of online heists to the game for over a year now, but it seems that the anticipation has been cut short for some. While the majority will have to wait until March 10 to gain access to the content, some players have been able to force their console to download the patch ahead of time.

However, there are a few caveats — at present, only Xbox One and Xbox 360 users have managed to download the content, and it hasn't actually been unlocked by Rockstar yet. That means that even if you do manage to download the update, you won't necessarily be able to play the heists before anyone else will.

Players will, however, be able to beat the rush of downloaders when the official release hits on Tuesday. Make no mistake, there is a frothing demand for this new content; online heists were one of the first things fans and critics requested when GTA V was originally released back in September of 2013, and ever since they were officially announced, they have been very hotly anticipated.

Unfortunately, players have seen their patience tested to its limits, as the game had to be ported to the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 before the heists could be unleashed. The intention was also to release the game on the PC before the new content was added in, but those plans have since been scuppered thanks to a last-minute delay.

In a month's time, however, the game will be released on all the platforms players expect, and the heists should be up and running for all. All the promises Rockstar have made in regards to GTA V will have been fulfilled, which begs the question of what the studio will turn their attention to next.

The obvious answer would perhaps be some story DLC for GTA V. After the critical and commercial success of the DLC episodes released in the wake of GTA IV, it would be strange if nothing similar was attempted for GTA V. But while rumors persist that something is in the works, we haven't heard any official announcement from Rockstar as of yet.

It could well be that a small group of devs continue their work with GTA Online, and the majority of Rockstar North turn their attention towards an all-new project. Could it finally be time for the long-awaited follow-up to Red Dead Redemption to go into full production? We'll have to wait and see.

Grand Theft Auto V is available now for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One, with a PC release scheduled for April 14. It Heists DLC is anticipated to release on March 10.