As compensation for a tumultuous Grand Theft Auto Online launch week, Rockstar Games has promised to give games a $500,000 "stimulus package" to help with their multiplayer exploits. However, that stimulus is being put on hold until Rockstar can work out a few more kinks in the online multiplayer experience.

After Rockstar issued the second update for Grand Theft Auto Online — the one that helped restore players' missing cash, characters, and vehicles — things seemed to have returned to normal. Yet, players are still reporting problems, some of which result in cash or progress going missing.

As a result, Rockstar has decided it best to put the stimulus package on hold until they can guarantee gamers' cash won't turn up missing. It's the same reason they haven't activated the microtransactions in Grand Theft Auto Online, which, if that cash went missing, would cause a huge problem.

Rockstar hopes to have an update on the status of the stimulus package rollout soon - which, if all went according to plan, should have released this week - but they wouldn't say much more than that. It's important to note as well that Rockstar plans to release the stimulus package as two $250,000 payments, so gamers are only waiting on the first deposit.

All things considered, Grand Theft Auto 5 got off to a huge start, grossing more than $800 million in its first 24 hours. Not only that, Rockstar's latest is sure to be part of the conversation later this year, as gamers and press outlets prepare their game of the year lists.

However, even though the story mode in Grand Theft Auto 5 is high quality, there will be a dark cloud looming overhead, and inevitably holding the game's chances of winning back. For several weeks, gamers have discussed whether or not the failures of Grand Theft Auto Online should impact the overall impression of GTA 5 with some labeling the multiplayer experience a free add-on and others calling it an integral part of the full retail product. Whatever the case may be the fact of the matter is Rockstar wasn't prepared for the type of turnout that Grand Theft Auto Online received, and they dropped the ball when it came to squashing problems quickly and efficiently.

According to Rockstar, the worse is behind us, but that doesn't mean Grand Theft Auto Online is running at optimum strength, as evidenced by this stimulus package delay. It's funny to think that the compensation for a troubled launch is now experiencing its own launch problems, but such is the case with Grand Theft Auto Online these days.

How do you feel about Grand Theft Auto Online as a whole? Has the promise of $500,000 in faux compensation assuaged your disappointment at all?

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Source: Rockstar

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