GTA Online Update Features Nod to Iconic Location from OG Games

GTA Online's latest update has a nod to one of the most iconic locations from the Grand Theft Auto series. The Grand Theft Auto franchise has been going for over 20 years now and it's a pop culture staple. It has taken us coast to coast in a fictional version of the United States, satirizing different eras of this country and even going overseas in one of the earliest entries. Rockstar Games cemented itself as the king of open world gaming with its ability to create living breathing worlds filled with all kinds of ways to interact with them. We've gone to Liberty City (New York), Vice City (Miami), and San Andreas (California), but there have also been glimpses of other areas of the country within these games. North Yankton in Grand Theft Auto V's prologue paints a picture of midwestern life in this universe, for example.

However, one place fans have longed to see make a return in this new era of Grand Theft Auto is Las Venturas, the Grand Theft Auto universe's take on Las Vegas. The city last appeared in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but was notably absent when Rockstar Games returned to that setting in Grand Theft Auto V. It's unclear if it was ever in the cards to bring Las Venturas back or if it was never something considered, but the latest GTA Online update has a nod to the iconic city. The new Chop Shop update for GTA Online sees players stealing a bunch of cars and one of these cars has a Las Venturas license plate. This is one of the only notable nods to the city in Grand Theft Auto V. It seems fairly unlikely we'll get to go to Las Venturas anytime soon as GTA Online seems to be winding down as we approach the release of Grand Theft Auto VI and that game itself takes place in Leonida/Vice City. 

One of the new cars in the robberies features a new Las Venturas license plate!#GTAOnline pic.twitter.com/XdFr9q24nB

— GTABase.com (@GTABase) December 12, 2023

GTA Online also hasn't expanded its map with any major cities either. We did get a new island a couple of years ago, but it's fairly desolate and is primarily used for heisting rather than hanging out/exploring. Maybe if we are lucky, Grand Theft Auto VI will have the bandwidth to let us travel to other locations and give us the opportunity to go to Las Venturas. However, given how far apart these locations are from each other, we probably shouldn't expect it.