Winter Has Come to 'GTA 5 Online' — Will the Snow Melt Anytime Soon in the Game?

The Gist:

• The online environments in GTA Online become covered with snow as winter sets in.
• The change comes as part of the game's holiday-themed events.
• Snow is expected to be removed from the game at the end of its designated holiday period.

Plenty of online games celebrate the holidays in their own ways. Typically, these celebrations come in the form of in-game items and exclusive events that you can participate in for a limited time.

Even a game like Grand Theft Auto Online gets in on the festivities every year. First released as the online component for Grand Theft Auto V back in 2013, the online multiplayer version of the game was released as a standalone title in March 2022 so that players can experience it without GTAV.

That said, players continue to enjoy the game as both part of GTAV and on its own as a bit of a technical spinoff. As the game has persisted for more than a decade through regular updates and patches, it also features the occasional seasonal update. That includes snow during the winter season!

During past holiday seasons, the in-game environment of San Andreas becomes covered in snow to celebrate the holidays. But when does the snow go away after the fact? It may come sooner than you think.

In an official blog post from Rockstar Games posted on Dec. 21, 2023, the dev team behind GTA Online unveiled details for their exclusive holiday events. The campaigns, dated between Dec. 21 and Jan. 3, 2024, saw the game offer special items, game modes, and vehicles for a limited time. These special campaigns were heralded by snow decorating the streets of San Andreas. In fact, players were able to participate in snowball fights in which snowballs had the same in-game lethal power as any other weapon.

The snow isn't even purely decorative, either. Some vehicles will even lose traction on the slippery roads while others may have an advantage on movement in the unusual terrain. Given its strict physics, is it any wonder that players have been curious as to when the snow will be taken out of the game? Well, unlike the real winter season, you may not have to wait until March for the snow to go away.

While Rockstar Games has offered no official confirmation, snow is expected to be removed from GTA Online after Jan. 3, 2024, the day that many of the holiday-related events are scheduled to end. It'll be perfect timing for when the holiday season finally settles down, and it'll be especially beneficial for players who don't want their vehicle options limited by the weather.