Shark Cards have ruined Grand Theft Auto Online’s economy, as they've caused the multiplayer mode's economy to drastically inflate, leaving players unable to buy items in new updates. Throughout its eight years, GTA Online has received countless content updates, which has added new items such as cars, weapons, and aircraft vehicles. However, the price for these new additions can be costly, ranging between $3 million and $6 million in in-game currency, meaning players have to spend lots of time grinding in-game to make enough money to buy them. Shark Cards - microtransactions that provide players with an instant injection of cash - represent an easier option though, and as prices continue to increase, it's likely players will find them more attractive.
Early on, when GTA Online first launched, doing activities such as races, deathmatches, and easy PvE missions could’ve earned players at least $20,000 that would be enough for a car, but now they grant virtually nothing. Jobs in GTA Online, on the other hand, have remained somewhat the same, but the reward rates can’t keep up with the constant inflation of prices. Rockstar has alleviated this somewhat by providing regular free payouts of GTA money to players, with those on PlayStation even receiving $1 million each month in the build up to Grand Theft Auto V's release on PS5. To add on, those who are Amazon Prime members can also reap monthly cash benefits for the game.
The Doomsday and Diamond Casino heists are both decent methods of making money in GTA Online, but they have their own drawbacks. As a bonus perk in GTA Online, The Diamond Casino also has missions and benefits that go along with it that can aid players in earning rewards and making more money. For these heists, players have to perform setup missions that can be disrupted by others in the lobby. This can lead to player griefing and it happens a lot on many servers. The downside to this being a feature is that setup missions can only be done in public play sessions, and if a setup mission is failed it has to be started all over again, which can be a pain. It's easy to see how this could encourage players to take the easy way out and, purchase Shark Cards to avoid the hassle.
Making Money In GTA Online Can Be A Tedious Grind
The Cayo Perico Heist in GTA Online is somewhat a saving grace for players as the minimum payout for completing the heist is just over $1 million. However, by completing all of the bonus objectives and playing the missions on the hardest difficulty, up to $4.5 million can be made. While this currently is one of the best money-making methods in the game, there are elements of grinding to it that can be a major turnoff for some players. Just like the Diamond Casino and Doomsday heists, Cayo Perico also has set up missions that can be griefed by others in public lobbies. Performing the heist and the setup missions multiple times can prove to be tedious.
Players can also become CEOs and run businesses in GTA Online such as arcades and nightclubs. The downside to being a business owner is that in order to make money from the property, it also has to be spent on them by buying things such as upgrades that bring in more revenue. To go even further, businesses are pitted against each other and are in constant competition, which can cause players to be griefed constantly and make zero progress. Another problem with this is that it essentially encourages spending money on Shark Cards in order to not only own a lucrative business, but also retaliate against the opposition.
Making money in GTA Online used to be much easier, as heists and missions were conducted in private lobbies that focused on PvE encounters. However, since the introduction of businesses and the more recent heists, GTA Online has moved more of its action to public lobbies, leaving players at greater risk of being griefed by random players. This in turn has made Shark Cards more attractive, especially now that the prices of new in-game items have skyrocketed. With the cards being bought more frequently, it may cause the price of expensive GTA Online items to be costly in the future as well. While Shark Cards are fully optional to purchase, they're beginning to feel more like a necessity, which may consequently turn players new and old away from the title.