When Rockstar opened pre-orders on June 25, the fine print revealed something players were not expecting: multiple in-game businesses and two side missions are exclusive to the Ultimate Edition. The locked locations include two car mod shops, One-Eyed Willie's and Rideout Customs, a clothing store called Stock 305, a hair salon called Sara's Unisex Salon, and a tattoo parlor called Electric Fang Tattoo. All of them display a message indicating they are only open for business with the Ultimate Edition.
Rockstar confirmed that the full main story campaign is included in the Standard Edition and that no story-critical content is locked behind a paywall. The two exclusive side missions available in the Ultimate Edition are described as a gang raid at a Vice City contraband store and a classic car collection assignment. Buyers of the 79.99 dollar Standard Edition will play the same main narrative but will not have access to those missions or the listed shops.
Fan reaction across social media and gaming forums has been sharply critical. Many players argue that restricting in-game businesses from part of the playerbase sets a troubling precedent for a single-player game, with phrases like 'the GTA Online mindset' appearing widely in the backlash. Rockstar has not publicly responded to the criticism as of this writing.