Are MKII weapons worth upgrading to in GTA Online?

What makes GTA Online so incredibly gratifying and fun is the fact that each player may take their own path to rank up in the game. Whether that means solely focusing on Heists and Contact Missions, or only through businesses - it is left entirely up to the player.

But, in order to survive the unforgiving lobbies of GTA Online, players are going to need firepower, and a whole lot of it. Visiting Ammu-Nation to stock up on all kinds of guns, explosives and rocket launchers is all fine and dandy, but perhaps GTA Online's strongest weapons are reserved for the Weapons Workshop.

Players with a ton of money to throw around like to gain an advantage over the rest of the playing field by investing in a Weapons Workshop. Essentially, the Workshop allows players to upgrade certain weapons into their MKII variants - which usually have better stats or new, special features.

Are MKII weapons worth upgrading to in GTA Online?

There are a total of 12 MKII weapons in the game, namely:

1. Heavy Sniper MKII
2. Special Carbine MKII
3. Carbine Rifle MKII
4. Assault Rifle MKII
5. Pistol MKII
6. Combat MG MKII
7. Bulllpup Rifle MKII
8. Heavy Revolver MKII
9. Marksman Rifle MKII
10. Pump Shotgun MKII
11. SMG MKII
12. SNS Pistol MKII

To make things far easier when trying to decide whether to upgrade to an MKII weapon or not, there is a simple solution players can apply. If a player typically uses any 3 of the above weapons' base variants in GTA Online - then they should consider getting an upgrade at the Weapons Workshop.

For instance, the Heavy Sniper MKII allows players to use explosive rounds - which are extremely effective against both aircraft and armored vehicles. The Special Carbine MKII is not a huge step-up from its base variant - yet it still offers a perfectly balanced AR which is bound to come in handy in GTA Online.

How expensive are they?

In terms of utility - MKII weapons differ from player to player. For instance, the Heavy Sniper MKII is easily one of the most powerful weapons in the game, but if the player doesn't have much skill with a sniper - it is of little use to them.

Therefore, when considering whether to upgrade to an MKII variant - players have to consider how often they use that particular weapon and their skill level with it. Some players are more comfortable with certain weapons, which is why they must consider the monetary side of things too.

The Weapons Workshop is required to upgrade standard weapons to their MKII variants. It is available in three vehicles - MOC, Avenger, Terrorbyte. All three of which are powerful mobile base vehicles with plenty of great things to offer.

The Weapons Workshop itself costs $245,000 in all 3 vehicles. What adds to the cost is the prerequisites to unlock these vehicles. The MOC requires a Bunker, the Avenger requires a Facility, and the Terrorbyte requires a Nightclub.

Which will bring the total to roughly a million GTA$, depending on whether there is a discount on any of the properties or the vehicles. That is not all of the expenses met as each of the weapons can cost the player a lot of money.

The Pistol, which is the cheapest to upgrade, costs $73,750, while the most expensive Heavy Sniper costs $165,375. Which brings up the total to something just north of $ 200,000 in GTA.

Verdict

Essentially, the Weapons Workshop should be reserved for much later in the game. It isn't exactly an essential purchase in GTA Online and neither are MKII weapons. Effectively, these weapons are the only way to bolster the player's arsenal rather than a necessity.

Players would be much better off saving money and upgrading their weapons once they've reached a comfortable state. If the players happen to already own an MOC/Avenger/Terrorbyte and feel like they could use some more firepower - they should go right ahead.

At the same time, it shouldn't be a priority for new players to strive for the Weapons Workshop early on in GTA Online.