GTA 5's Expanded and Enhanced Edition finally gets a definite release date, along with what’s new

Rockstar Games recently posted in their Newswire that GTA 5's Expanded and Enhanced Edition will be released on March 15, 2022.

The exact quote to keep in mind is:

"With the GTAV community stronger than ever, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online will come to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S platforms this coming March 15, bringing the blockbuster open-world experience to players on the latest hardware."

Back then, players only knew that the game would come out on March 2022, with no specific day listed. Before that, it was initially slated for a November 2021 release date, before being delayed to its current date.

This port also has a few minor changes, which will be mentioned below. Other than that, GTA Online's standalone version will also come out on March 15, 2022, which will include a few new features.

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Here is what Rockstar Games officially unveiled regarding GTA 5's Expanded and Enhanced Edition

An example of a new feature known as Hao's Special Works (Image via Rockstar Games)

Here is what players should expect from GTA 5's Expanded and Enhanced Edition:

• 4K resolution with 60 FPS.
• Various graphical improvements, including "HDR options and ray-tracing."
• Gamers can transfer their PS4 and Xbox One Story Mode progress to the next-gen version
• GTA Online characters and progression can also be transferred (one-time).
• Faster loading times and other general improvements relative to the next-gen consoles.

There is no mention of any new missions or new features such as official VR support in GTA 5's Expanded and Enhanced Edition. Many of the brand-new features are for GTA Online, such as Hao's Special Works.

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New features in GTA Online

Hao can upgrade 10 vehicles (five new and five old) for GTA Online players (Image via Rockstar Games)

Not all changes are related to GTA 5's Expanded and Enhanced Edition. Some of them focus primarily on GTA Online, such as:

• New players can skip the Story Mode Prologue and enter Online instantly.
• A new tutorial.
• Career Builder will give them one business (Biker, Executive, Nightclub, or Gunrunner).
• Hao's Special Works will upgrade a few select vehicles at the LS Car Meet for better performance.

It's also worth noting that GTA Online will have a standalone version starting on March 15, 2022. Also, PS5 players will have access to it for free in the first three months (March 15, 2022 - June 15, 2022).

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Old leaks about GTA 5's Expanded and Enhanced Edition

Interestingly, an old leak mentioned select vehicles getting an upgrade. However, it listed six vehicles instead of the five that Rockstar Games referenced. Those six vehicles were:

• Brioso R/A
• Sentinel XS
• Turismo Classic
• Banshee
• Deveste Eight
• Hakuchou Drag

It's currently unknown if any or most of those vehicles will also receive upgrades from Hao's Special Works.

Rockstar Games' latest Newswire has already confirmed this old leak's authenticity. The ability to transfer single-player saves is guaranteed. Likewise, there will be a one-time character transfer for GTA Online players.

There are other unrelated GTA 5 Expanded and Enhanced Edition leaks that haven't been confirmed to be happening. For example, the Chameleon gradient for new vehicles or new exclusive clothing items were also found in old data.