Players who start up Grand Theft Auto Online know what they're getting into. While it's possible to have safe and legal fun in GTA's universe, that's not what players are here for. They're here for the titular car robbery and a general life of crime.
No one said that a life of crime is easy, however. Just stepping out onto GTA Online's streets can be a death sentence, at least if the player is particularly unlucky.
But it's as the saying goes: No pain, no gain. And Grand Theft Auto Online definitely gives players the opportunity to gain. Like in most persistent online games, GTA Online lets players increase their character's stats over time. Compared to other stats, however, the method of increasing health is a bit indirect.
How to Increase Health in GTA Online
In GTA Online, players increase most stats by practicing related activities. If the player wants to level up their flying skill, for example, then they just need to spend airtime in one of GTA Online's planes. It increases 1 bar with every 10 minutes in the skies.
With this in mind, players might think that health increases are tied to damage. The more they're hurt, the more they'll be impervious to injury in the future. But anyone frustrated by a string of untimely deaths will say that it's not the case.
No, health in GTA Online is tied to a player's overall rank. The player's health increases by 20 at every 20th rank, up to rank 100.
This might be disheartening to new GTA Online players since there is nothing they can do to immediately up their survivability. On the flip side, most anything they do will eventually lead to a rank up, so they shouldn't have to wait too long for their health to increase.
Other Ways to Increase Survivability
Even if a player is far away from the next 20 rank milestone, they can do a couple of things to improve their survivability in combat. Instead of increasing their health, they can increase their proverbial defense.
"Defense" here is strength. This stat is tied to melee combat, and is increased by punching people and objects, but it also determines a player's overall toughness. The higher their strength stat, the less damage they from most hits. Alongside grinding strength, players can invest in equipment like body armor, which will further blunt attacks.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.