GTA Online: The Doomsday Heist patch notes - changes to Heavy Sniper and Marksman Rifle damage, ammo becomes more lethal, all the details

News by Matt Martin Former Editor-in-Chief

Published on Dec. 12, 2017

Well, it's been a quite significant day for GTA Online today, and no mistake.

Today's GTA Online DLC has brought with it many surprises. Top of the list are a new heist complete with a selection of lethal vehicles, as well as an intriguing Red Dead Redemption 2 Easter egg.

But it also brings a bunch of fixes and changes to steady Grand Theft Auto Online, a game in its third year and still going strong. Look past all the headlines from today and there's some fairly useful tweaks for regular GTA Online players.

Lester's ability to wipe a WANTED level is now free once you've completed the Doomsday Heist and you can also now save up to 20 different outfits instead of ten.

Most importantly are the buffs and nerfs to weapons and firepower. Explosive rounds from the Heavy Sniper MkII now only deal half as much damage, but there's a guaranteed chance of setting targets on fire with incendiary ammo, and it can now hold 80 rounds of normal ammo rather than 40.

Armour piercing and hollow point rounds are now more lethal and there has been some tweaks to mounted weapons attached to vehicles.

Check out all the changes and a list of fixes as long as your arm, below.

New Content – PS4, Xbox One and PC Only

Facilities have been added to GTA Online. Facilities are properties that give players access to the Doomsday Heist and acts as a storage space for the new Mammoth Avenger. Players can purchase a Facility from the Maze Bank Foreclosures website from a choice of 9 locations. Facilities can be customized with a choice of Style and Graphics. Optional add-ons such as an Orbital Cannon, Security Room, Lounge, Privacy Glass and Sleeping Quarters are also available. Facilities come with space for up to 7 personal vehicles and has dedicated spaces for a selection of the new fully weaponized vehicles.
The Doomsday Heist has been added to GTA Online. Upon purchasing a Facility, players can begin the Doomsday Heist by approaching the Planning Screen inside. The Doomsday Heist consists of 3 acts, each comprised of new Prep Missions, Setups and Finales and includes new Criminal Mastermind and Elite Challenges.
The Mammoth Avenger has been added to GTA Online. The Avenger can be purchased from the Warstock Cache and Carry website and can be customized with a choice of interiors. Optional add-ons such as a Gun Turret, a Vehicle Workshop and a Weapon Workshop can also be purchased. Players must own a Facility before purchasing the Avenger.
Nine fully weaponized vehicles have been added to GTA Online:
Mammoth Thruster
Imponte Deluxo
Ocelot Stromberg
RCV
Chernobog
Barrage
TM-02 Khanjali
Akula
Volatol
One optionally weaponized vehicle has been added to GTA Online:
Pfister Comet Safari
Five high-end vehicles have been added to GTA Online:
Ubermacht SC1
Vapid Riata
Ocelot Pariah
Declasse Yosemite
Coil Raiden
Six Mk II weapons have been added to GTA Online:
Pump Shotgun Mk II
Special Carbine Mk II
Marksman Rifle Mk II
Heavy Revolver Mk II
Bullpup Rifle Mk II
SNS Rifle Mk II
Over 20 new items of clothing have been added to GTA Online for male and female characters.
30 new tattoos have been added to GTA Online
26 new face paints have been added to GTA Online.

New Features / Updates – PS4, Xbox One and PC Only

Eight new achievements/trophies have been added to GTA Online.
A new radio station called “blonded Los Santos 97.8 FM” has been added to Single Player and GTA Online.
The Battle Axe has been moved from the DLC weapon wall to the melee weapon cabinet in Ammu-Nation.
The font of the information used for GTA Online shards has been updated and the font used for Adversary Modes shards are now in your current team’s color.
The number of outfit save slots has been increased from 10 to 20.
Lester’s “Remove Wanted Level” ability is now FREE upon completion of the Doomsday Heist.
Simplified Chinese has been added as a new language setting to PC.
Players can now control the doors of the Personal Aircraft via the “Door Control” Interaction Menu option.
The following changes have been made to on-foot weapons:
The Heavy Sniper Mk II now deals half the amount of damage to the health of players and NPCs when using Explosive Rounds.
The Heavy Sniper Mk II now has a guaranteed chance to set targets alight when using Incendiary Rounds.
The ammo capacity for the Heavy Sniper Mk II has been doubled to 80 rounds for all non-Explosive ammo types.
The effectiveness of Armor Piercing and Hollow Point Rounds has been increased for all Mk II weapons.
The Marksman Rifle now has correct recoil when firing without aiming in first person mode.
The following changes have been made to mounted vehicle weapons:
Damage and fire rates have been increased for minigun modifications on the Mammoth Tula and Nagasaki Havok to bring them in line with other mounted minigun weapons.
Damage and fire rates have been increased for the Gimbal Turret weapon modification on the Nagasaki Ultralight.

Rockstar Creator Fixes – PS4, Xbox One and PC Only

Fixed various issues with Capture respawns in UGC content.
Fixed an issue where newly created saved & published Jobs would not appear in the “My Jobs” list.
Fixed an issue where the “Add Custom Vehicle” option was incorrectly available in the “Starting Grid” menu of the Stunt Race Creator.
Fixed an issue where players could drown in the Creator causing them to become stuck on a black screen.
Fixed an issue that caused props to change their rotation after publishing a Stunt Race.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to complete a Capture in test mode making the Job impossible to publish.
Fixed an issue where players were unable to move or delete capture points once placed.
Fixed an issue where players were not automatically put into the Transform/Special Race Creator when selecting those options.
Fixed an issue where editing vehicles in the “Transform Vehicle” option caused them to be removed from the option.
Fixed an issue where players were unable to place Air Transform Checkpoints over water.
Fixed an issue where no yellow ring would appear around Land Checkpoints in test mode.
Fixed clipping issues with previews of vehicles in the “Set Custom Transform Vehicle” menu.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the Technical Custom and Insurgent Pick-Up Custom to not be available for use with Transform Checkpoints.
Fixed an issue that caused the Weaponized Tampa to appear in the Sports Category rather than the Muscle Category in the Transform Race Creator.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the checkpoint distance calculator to not calculate correctly.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the “Clear” weather setting to display as “Sunny”.

Rockstar Editor Fixes – PS4, Xbox One and PC Only

Fixed an issue where a smashed windscreen on the Western Company Seabreeze would display incorrectly in recorded Rockstar Editor clips.
Fixed an issue where the windows of a destroyed Grotti Visione would display incorrectly in recorded Rockstar Editor clips.
Fixed an issue with the brake discs of the Dewbauchee Vagner displaying in an incorrect position in recorded Rockstar Editor clips.
Fixed an issue with door positioning of the Grotti Visione in recorded Rockstar Editor clips.
Fixed issues with the transformation of vehicles when scrubbing through recorded Rockstar Editor clips of Transform Races.

General / Miscellaneous – PS4, Xbox One and PC Only

Ongoing improvements have been made in GTA Online to fix crashes, improve the quality of matchmaking, and reduce the number of online connection issues such as disconnections and split sessions.
Fixed an issue with hand positions on the flight stick of the Howard NX-25 aircraft that may occur when playing as a female character.
Fixed an issue that changed the input required to entering the turret seat of an empty vehicle from a tap to a hold.
Fixed an issue that would spawn some vehicles at incorrect orientations when using the “Request Personal Aircraft” option via the Personal Interaction menu.
Fixed an issue with the FH-1 Hunter that caused the Missile Barrage weapon to fire infinite bursts under some circumstances.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players’ rebreathers not replenishing after playing the Mobile Operation – Offshore Assets.
Fixed an issue where removing a Pegasus vehicle from your Hangar would count towards the daily vehicle sell limit.
Fixed inconsistencies with Hangar Business cool down timers.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the Free Trade Shipping Co. app to show inconsistent amounts of Cargo on different pages.
Fixed inconsistencies between the amounts of stock the Free Trade Shipping Co. app displays and how much the Hangar owner actually has.
Fixed an issue that resulted in Yachts appearing in Transform Races.
Fixed issues that resulted in players getting stuck when trying to enter/exit their Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players getting stuck with the “launching session” spinner when trying to launch a Job.
Fixed an issue that caused purchased vehicles to not be delivered.
Fixed issues with mechanic personal vehicle delivery.
Fixed issues with the Bunker personal vehicle parking space.
Fixed an issue that resulted in aircraft smoke to persist after the pilot left the session.
Fixed an issue that resulted in Special Cargo crates to not be counted after being delivered.
Fixed an issue that resulted in instances of players being incorrectly charged if another player destroyed their personal vehicle.
Fixed an issue that resulted in incorrect button prompts to appear during Import/Export missions.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the vehicle management menu trigger to disappear.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players losing control of their character after using the Hangar wardrobe.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players getting stuck on a black screen after attempting to join another player with different aim settings.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players getting stuck in the sky while transitioning.
Fixed an issue with the Rhino tank that caused players to climb down from the vehicle before entering if already standing on the vehicle.
Fixed an issue with the Buckingham Pyro’s landing gear state not displaying correctly to other players in the session when damaged.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the HVY APC to not be able to deploy Proximity Mines.
Fixed an issue with the Dewbauchee Vagner’s non-standard license plate size.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players losing control of their character after using multiple Clubhouse activities.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to purchase ammunition through the Interaction Menu.
Fixed a crash that was caused by too many ambient aircrafts spawning in session at once.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players getting stuck on a black screen when walking into their Cocaine Business.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players losing control of their character after respraying a vehicle in the Hangar Vehicle Workshop.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players getting stuck on a black screen when attempting to join another player while driving into the Bunker.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players receiving the message “NOT SOLD. Purchase Canceled. Please buy something.” when attempting to purchase a vehicle.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to store ambient vehicles in their Garage.
Fixed an issue that caused the GTA Online Tutorial cutscene to not play.
Fixed an issue where players were unable to enter first person during the GTA Online Tutorial.
Fixed an issue that caused personal actions in vehicles to animate incorrectly when performed in first person.
Fixed an issue that may have caused the camera to spin when entering a turreted vehicle in first person.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players incorrectly receiving the error message “Unable to Purchase Supplies at this time” when attempting to buy supplies.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to use bicycles they had purchased.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to access their personal vehicles in their Garage.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players spawning under the map when they first enter GTA Online.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players timing out when attempting to enter GTA Online.
Fixed an issue that resulted in all weapons in Ammu-Nation to incorrectly show the message “Revert to the stock variant to customize this weapon”.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players having no functionality when attempting to enter/exit their Clubhouse.
Fixed an issue that resulted in Organization names to not remain updated after switching sessions.
Fixed an issue that could result in Weed Business production stopping incorrectly.
Fixed an issue with the Weaponized Tampa that prevented the minigun from firing towards the correct location when using the First Person Hood Camera option.
Fixed an issue in WVM – Mole Hunt that caused players to not have access to the Declasse Tampa’s missiles.
Fixed an issue in WVM – Work Dispute that caused the mission to get stuck when launching.
Fixed an issue in WVM – Cover Blown where players were unable to use the MOC turrets during the mission.
Fixed an issue in VIP Work – Haulage where the objective trailer would not detach if the truck cab was destroyed.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the co-pilot of the Savage to be unable to fire rockets.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Bombushka Run where if the pilot player quit at the start, the plane would fall through the platform it was sitting on and the attempt would fail.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Bombushka Run that resulted in the mode to progress beyond the set attempts incorrectly.
Fixed issues in Adversary Mode – Dogfight where the mode would not progress to Sudden Death.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Dogfight that resulted in the game ending prematurely.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Dogfight that resulted in players getting stuck on a black screen.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Stockpile where players could be killed inside their own drop off zone but could not fire out.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Stockpile where an aircraft would be shown as on fire for drivers but not passengers in the same vehicle.
Fixed Leaderboard issues in Adversary Mode – Stockpile.
Fixed team balancing issues in Adversary Mode – Stockpile.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Stockpile that resulted in players being unable to pick up the flag.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Stockpile where player blips would still be visible during sudden death despite the fact they had been kicked to spectator mode.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Stockpile where if the host collects a flag, all players without a flag were able to see their team's drop off highlighted.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Motor Wars that caused the rear door of the Cargobob to not open.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Motor Wars where more than the max amount of players allowed on one team would display on the Team Select screen.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Drop Zone where the zones could not be captured.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Drop Zone that caused the capture area to not correctly change color.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – In and Out where players couldn’t drop off packages.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Inch by Inch that caused the mode to not progress to sudden death.
Fixed an issue in Adversary Mode – Vehicle Vendetta that resulted in players to have no UI and functionality.
Fixed Leaderboard issues in Adversary Mode – Offense Defence.
Fixed an issue with the delivery drop-off point in Heist Fleeca Job – Karuma.
Fixed an issue in Heist Fleeca Job – Finale where the vault door could be seen rotating incorrectly and clipping through the walls.
Fixed an issue in Heist Prison Break – Pilot that resulted in players incorrectly failing the mission by alerting an agent.
Fixed an issue in Heist Humane Labs – Key Codes that resulted in players falling through the map when delivering the objective.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being able to select their personal aircraft as a starting vehicle in Heists despite personal aircraft not being available as a starting vehicle.
Fixed an issue in Transform Race – Slam Dunk where spectators did not get any visual or sound indication when the spectated player goes over a speed boost.
Fixed an issue in Transform Race – Split Personality where payers would respawn in the incorrect vehicle.
Fixed an issue in Transform Race – Gauntlet that caused players to fall down onto the track when starting the Race.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players to get stuck on a black screen when launching Transform Races.
Fixed Ruiner 2000 parachute issues in Transform Races.
Fixed an issue that caused player positon UI to be incorrect in Transform Races.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players incorrectly receiving certain modification help text for the Microlight during some Races.
Fixed issues with checkpoints in multiple Transform Races.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players respawning with their aircraft wheels down in Transform Races.
Fixed multiple issues that resulted in players getting stuck when entering/exiting the MOC.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to respray their MOC cab.
Fixed an issue that could result in a player owned MOC becoming invisible.
Fixed an issue where players were unable to upgrade the Technical to the Technical Custom in the MOC.
Fixed an issue that resulted in two MOCs to appear in the Bunker.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to enter their MOC.
Fixed issues with MOC spawns after being requested.
Fixed an issue that caused the turret UI to still be visible on screen after exiting the MOC turret.
Fixed issues with taking the Grotti Visione into the MOC.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to exit the MOC modification menu.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players getting kicked out of the passenger seat of a vehicle when trying to drive into the MOC.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to access the MOC.
Fixed an issue that could result in player owned vehicles being inaccessible after entering and exiting the MOC.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players losing functionality after trying to store a car in the MOC.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the entry trigger for the MOC to disappear.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to store their personal vehicle in their MOC.
Fixed an issue where players may not have been visible to each other when entering the same MOC interior.
Fixed an issue that resulted in Cargo crates to be uncollectable after being accidentally dropped.
Fixed issues that resulted in Hangars to be missing from the Maze Bank Foreclosures website.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players getting stuck on a black screen when entering their Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players losing functionality after trying to store personal aircraft in an already full Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in Bombushkas not appearing in player owned Hangars.
Fixed an issue that resulted in vehicles owned by other players to appear in your Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to leave their Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted the Microlight being moveable in the Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in passengers being forcibly removed from aircrafts entering the Hangar.
Fixed an issue with the Hangar entry cutscene.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to use the wardrobe in the Hangar Living Quarters.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players falling through the map in the Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players showing as being briefly under the map when leaving another player’s Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players to incorrectly receive Cargo in their Hangar for participating in missions for their Org leader.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players being unable to remove aircraft from their Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players getting stuck with no functionality after modifying an aircraft in the Hangar.
Fixed issues with Personal Aircraft spawns inside the Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in two Cuban 800s to appear in your newly purchased Hangar instead of one.
Fixed issues with players receiving wanted levels when landing in Fort Zancudo despite the player owning a Hangar inside.
Fixed visual transition issues when leaving the Hangar in an aircraft.
Fixed multiple issues that resulted in Cargo being uncollectable during various Cargo Missions.
Fixed an issue in the Gunrunning Business Setup mission where players were unable to deliver the Duneloader.
Fixed issues with Business Defend Mission alerts.
Fixed an issue that resulted in ammo amounts to incorrectly change when passing certain Smuggler Missions.
Fixed an issue that resulted in Defend Missions to not launch correctly.
Fixed an issue where if a player steals another CEO’s package and that CEO leaves and rejoins the same session, when launching another mission, the mission will end as soon as the Rival package is delivered.
Fixed an issue that caused the container in Smuggler Sell missions to have no collision.
Fixed an issue with players being incorrectly given duffel bags when collecting crates in some Smuggler missions.
Fixed pricing inconsistencies with the “Remove Wanted Level” ability.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players to receive the message “You have insufficient funds”.
Fixed an issue that resulted in enemy blips appearing as debug text on the map.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players to experience erratic camera angles after requesting a personal vehicle while in an aircraft.
Fixed an issue with the combination of the Tucked Polo Shirt and Love Heart Boxer Shorts.
Fixed an issue where purchased helmets would appear incorrectly in the Interaction Menu.
Fixed an issue that caused players to fall through the map when delivering Cargo in a vehicle with a Rival Org.
Fixed an issue that caused the Mammoth Tula to be propelled forwards after entering the bomb bay camera.
Fixed an issue with the Mammoth Tula’s gunner camera that caused it to clip through the vehicle at extreme orientations.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the small page ads to appear incorrectly on the internet home pages.
Fixed an issue that resulted in radars remaining blank for a short time after exiting an Apartment.
Fixed an issue that resulted in inapplicable Jobs to appear on the Next Job Voting Screen for certain modes.
Fixed issues with spectator cam in the Clubhouse.
Fixed issues with Apartment TV activity.
Fixed an alignment issue with the weapon stats bars on the weapon wheel.
Fixed purchase and ownership issues with the Heavy Sniper and the Heavy Sniper Mk II.
Fixed an issue that resulted in outfit styles to stop applying to the CEO following the removal of Ballistic Equipment.
Fixed an issue that resulted in the ticker feed unlock message for the Jock Cranley Suit to incorrectly mention a tattoo unlock.
Fixed an issue that resulted in a button conflict between opening the bomb bay doors and firing countermeasures on an aircraft equipped with both.
Fixed an issue that resulted in lobby UI to still appear on screen after leaving the lobby.
Fixed an issue that resulted in all Job triggers on the map to be hidden.
Fixed issues with overlapping text in the Interaction Menu.
Fixed an issue that caused players to lose their hairstyle when getting a tattoo with certain hats/helmets on.
Fixed an issue that caused thermal vision from the Quad Lens combat helmets to sometimes turn off when climbing obstacles.
Fixed clipping issues with Air Racing suits and long hairstyles.
Fixed an issue that resulted in players incorrectly receiving help text stating “Your personal vehicle has been returned to storage”.
Fixed compatibility issues with Half Masks / Biker Masks and Skull Cap Helmets.

General / Miscellaneous – Xbox One Only

Fixed an issue where entering connected standby when transitioning back to Story Mode from GTA Online could leave players stuck with a view of the sky while having control of a Single Player character.
Fixed an issue where players would receive a constant “Exit Bunker” prompt despite being away from the Bunker door.

General / Miscellaneous – PC Only

Inputs have been added for “Toggle Aircraft Bombing Mode” and “Deploy Aircraft Countermeasures” in the GTA Online Vehicles section of the Key Bindings menu.
Fixed an issue where certain vehicle models driven by other players would appear to be floating above the water’s surface when running at a high frame rate.
Fixed an issue with fire rate timings of several mounted vehicle weapons that caused irregularities when running at high frame rates.
Fixed an issue that resulted in Cargobob liveries incorrectly changing.
Fixed an issue where players could not store any aircraft in their Hangar.
Fixed an issue that resulted in loss of player control after pressing Alt+F4 at the same time as pressing dpad right on a controller to modify their vehicle in the MOC.
Fixed an issue where players were unable to leave the Bombushka turrets when using a Mouse and Keyboard.
Fixed pricing inconsistencies for the Biker Clubhouse murals.