The latest GTA update involves commandeering self-driving taxis to plummet the stock price.

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      At The Drive, we don’t usually track every update for Grand Theft Auto Online. However, the most recent update released on Wednesday caught our attention as it introduces a new form of transportation in Los Santos: Autonomous taxis. Managed by a company called "KnoWay," these take the shape of self-driving Karin Vivanite vans, similar to the Toyota Sienna in the GTA universe. True to GTA's style, your objective is to take control of these taxis and unleash chaos on the city’s property and residents.

      We weren't exactly sure how KnoWay taxis would operate in the game. While some anticipated erratic driving and disregard for traffic rules, I followed one for a few minutes, and that didn’t occur. If you get in its way, it will attempt to steer around you and continue on its route, but it won’t speed off as a vehicle driven by a civilian might. Also, from what I could see, you can't enter them.

      This was somewhat underwhelming. So, I decided to proceed with the first mission related to KnoWay, which starts by using a payphone. Our criminal associate Avi informs us that KnoWay may as well be tied to the FIB (GTA’s equivalent of the FBI) due to their extensive surveillance, but payphones are off their radar now, making them safe to use.

      The mission kicks off with a drive to KnoWay’s depot, where your first task is to eliminate all the guards in the building. Thankfully, this is quite manageable, especially if you’re playing alone on easy mode, as I was. Once that’s completed, you take the wheel of one of KnoWay’s test vehicles, allowing you to drive one of the company’s cabs remotely—this is where the real excitement starts.

      Your goal here is to act in ways that would significantly lower the company’s stock price. You need to take down 10 traffic signals, knock over five pedestrians, and jump 30 feet in the air. After completing those tasks, you proceed to destroy every KnoWay advertisement you see and disable several of the company’s other vehicles by crashing into them on the street. Once that fun wraps up, you have to destroy yourself. For this, I drove into the ocean, which felt a bit odd.

      A summary in three screenshots.

      Avi is constantly in your ear, encouraging you. After I submerged the van I was controlling, I had to blow up every vehicle in the depot before making my escape from the police, which is always the most frustrating part of these missions. Then, I went to Avi’s car to collect some cash from the trunk.

      That wraps up the first mission, and fittingly in GTA Online style, the moment I returned to the open world, my character exploded and died instantly, along with every other player in my session. They really need to address the issue of modders, but it’s been 12 years now, so perhaps that will be more of a concern for GTA VI.

      Causing chaos with a “driverless” taxi was somewhat entertaining, but I wish Rockstar had incorporated some unusual behaviors for the KnoWay vehicles on the streets. Perhaps they could have allowed players to break into them, leading to a wanted level that couldn’t be reduced until exiting the vehicle, as the authorities know the location of KnoWay’s entire fleet at all times. There might be additional features that set these vans apart from regular traffic, but after my rather limited playtime, I haven’t discovered any.

      Have you tried the latest GTA Online update yet? Have any thoughts? Feel free to reach out at [email protected]