An account that monitors Rockstar Games titles is warning Grand Theft Auto Online players about new PC exploits that allow hackers to remotely crash other players, even when playing single-player mode. Even at nearly a decade old the online mode for Grand Theft Auto 5 remains a hit with players and a cash cow for developer Rockstar Games, which just released the first in a series of patches bringing major improvements to GTA Online.Originally released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2014, Grand Theft Auto Online is the online portion of Rockstar’s smash hit GTA 5 and allows players to engage in the series’ trademark mayhem in a multiplayer version of San Andreas. Featuring a wide variety of different missions for players to take part in, GTA Online allows players to create their own fun as they build their criminal empire. GTA Online has also developed a passionate role-playing community, and the game boasts numerous servers filled with gamers taking on the roles of normal people. Prominent GTA Online RP streamer Shotz threatened fellow streamer Penta with legal action recently, accusing the latter of making unauthorized use of Shotz’s voice in their stream alerts.In a new Tweet posted by TezFunz2, an account that monitors Rockstar Games titles, players were warned about exploits found in the PC version of GTA Online that allow hackers to crash or kick other players. The exploits can be triggered remotely in any game mode or GTA Online lobby type, meaning that hackers can crash players even in single-player mode, and it was recommended that gamers use a firewall while playing GTA Online to protect themselves. While fans of Rockstar Games’ online title are used to experiencing occasional glitches in GTA Online, these malicious exploits can ruin the game for those affected.
Several users responding to the warning shared stories of being randomly kicked from Grand Theft Auto Online and speculated whether they had been victims of the exploit. Other comments proposed workarounds for avoiding becoming a victim of the exploit, such as using a VPN to try to hide their machine from potential attackers, but TezFunz2 stated that using a firewall that can block connections is currently the only method that has been tested and proven to work. Follow-up tweets from TezFunz2 indicated that Rockstar Games was aware of the issue, but no timetable was provided for a fix.
For PC players just looking to enjoy some lawless fun with friends, this GTA Online bug is sure to be an unwelcome annoyance. While players can still protect themselves from the exploit with a firewall, such a major bug in the fan-favorite title may have some gamers worried that Rockstar has shifted all of its attention to the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6​​​​​​.
Grand Theft Auto Online is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.