GTA Online Players Upset Over Addition of Two New Trees
Earlier this week, Rockstar Games rolled out a significant update for Grand Theft Auto Online, introducing a large-scale art heist featuring intriguing paintings, along with the usual lineup of new vehicles and clothing. However, this update also included two trees planted on a small hill near a road, sparking a wave of online frustration and confusion over whether their addition was meant to hinder players or assist them.
On July 14, the Kortz Heist update went live for GTA Online on both console and PC. The highlight of this update is a new art heist that players can tackle solo or with friends. To kick off this heist, players must own a mansion and upgrade it to include the newly introduced Art Studio. One of these mansions is situated in the hills of Los Santos, close to a winding downhill road that many players typically bypass by jumping over a small mound. After the update, dataminer Lucas7Yoshi discovered an undocumented change: Rockstar had added two trees to that mound on the curvy road.
That initial tweet didn’t gain much traction, but some players criticized Rockstar for seemingly blocking a shortcut with trees. Then, a Reddit user shared a screenshot of the tweet, directly accusing Rockstar of trying to prevent players from saving time with the shortcut.
“This is the most baffling change I have seen in this update,” the Redditor stated.
The post quickly gained momentum, amassing over 12,000 upvotes and nearly 400 comments, with many players expressing their grievances about Rockstar, the update, and the overall state of GTA Online. For many, the addition of these two trees epitomized Rockstar’s tendency to make the game feel more grindy. Players noted that during the Kortz Heist finale, Rockstar had seemingly blocked off every tunnel in the city to prevent easy police evasion, so it wasn’t surprising that they would add trees to a shortcut, making the game feel more tedious.
However, there was a twist: the trees were likely added to enhance the shortcut’s usability.
Several players who jumped into the game to test the shortcut after the trees were added found that the new foliage didn’t obstruct the path at all. Instead, the trees served as a natural guide, nudging players to the right and helping them land on the road rather than crashing into the infamous “Tennis Court of Shame,” a spot lower down the road where many players accidentally end up and get stuck. Players also noted that it was still possible to cut through the trees if desired; they simply provided a visual cue to steer clear of that tennis court trap.
Until Rockstar officially clarifies the intent behind the tree addition, it remains uncertain whether they were meant to assist or hinder players. However, it appears that a developer noticed players utilizing that shortcut and decided to add some trees in an update that would require players to travel to and from their mansions, aiming to help them out. Instead, it seems to have sparked unnecessary outrage. There’s plenty to critique about Rockstar and GTA, but let’s give these trees a break, alright?
