It's no secret that Grand Theft Auto Online, like other Rockstar Games, is packed full of secrets and oddities for players to discover. From Bigfoot to UFOs, mythological creatures, alien beings, and strange objects have appeared in the game.
One player was recently confused when they rolled into the Diamond Casino and Resort's parking lot only to discover the Loch Ness Monster 'parked' there. It seems the Casino has even drawn one of the most legendary mythological creatures in the world to check it out.
Redditor Herbzi_Leaf shared an image of the encounter, with the Plesiosaur-like creature towering tall in the Diamond Casino parking lot. Standing nearly as tall as one of the streetlights, the Loch Ness monster is unmoving in its spot. The appearance of the monster confused Herbzi_Leaf, but its appearance is likely due to a modder having some fun with one of the game's assets.
For those not in the know, the Loch Ness Monster actually makes an official appearance in GTA Online, albeit as a very small easter egg. When players are attempting to flee from the Cayo Perico heist, there's a chance for this creature to appear in the water in the distance. Trying to approach it will result in it diving underwater and disappearing. Submarine helmsman Pavel will actually comment on the creature under certain circumstances, acknowledging its presence on radar and referring to it as a 'friend,' indicating he's seen it before.
Of course, this creature was never intended to appear in a place like the Diamond Casino and Resort parking lot. A mischievous player likely spawned it there as a joke, with the intention of confusing or startling other players. Since the model is a static prop, it can't be interacted with or killed. Even so, spotting what amounts to a dinosaur in the middle of GTA Online's Los Santos is definitely weird, even for players who survived GTA Online's UFO Halloween event.
Big fans of Rockstar Games' other titles may already know that this particular creature didn't actually originate in Grand Theft Auto. Sounds and code were discovered in Red Dead Redemption 2 alluding to a river monster. The textures for GTA Online's monster match some of the code in RDR2, leading to the belief that they're one and the same. It's unclear why it was never utilized in Red Dead Redemption 2, but Rockstar Games has shared assets between its games in the past, so it's not too much of a surprise.
While hackers and cheaters in GTA Online can make the game miserable for other players, sometimes they have a little harmless fun, like in this case. Players would likely rather see more river monsters and less griefing in GTA Online.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions in development.