Getting Acquainted with Grand Theft Auto Online

Grand Theft Auto V is free on PC this week until May 21st on the Epic Games Store, as part of their weekly Free Game Fridays deal. And if you download it now, it’s yours to keep forever. This means as well as getting one of the biggest games on the planet for absolutely nothing, you’ll also get access to Grand Theft Auto Online, an entirely separate experience with its own missions, challenges and heists. Making your mark in Grand Theft Auto Online can be a challenge for new players, so here are a few pointers to help you on your way.

Start Passive

If you start Grand Theft Auto Online and find yourself the target of more experienced players, you should consider trying passive mode. Passive mode basically prevents you from being killed by other players, making it much easier to explore what Grand Theft Auto Online has to offer without interruptions. It’s worth bearing in mind you also can’t kill other players while in passive mode, so if you want to play competitively you’ll have to switch it off.

Lock your car when you leave it

This one’s straightforward enough. If you get out of your car for any length of time while playing Grand Theft Auto Online, make sure to “lock” it. Otherwise, you might come back to where you parked and find your vehicle’s been nicked by another player. To lock your car, bring up the Interaction Menu and scroll down to “Vehicle Access”. Set it to “no-one” and that’ll prevent other players from scooting off with your ride.

Bank your cash regularly

Dying in Grand Theft Auto Online can be a costly business. The actual amount of money you lose when dying varies depending on how you were killed, and who killed you. But just to be safe, if you’re carrying around more than a few thousand bucks, you should probably drop that cash off at a bank. Here, it’ll be safe from chancing muggers as well as the general chaos of Grand Theft Auto Online’s world.

If you've yet to grab your free copy of Grand Theft Auto V, head to the Epic Games Store now.