You see some sights in the Los Santos taxi business. From La Puerta to Paleto Bay, Vinewood to Chumash. Gangsters, gun runners, drug dealers, con artists and, as I now know too well, trophy hunters all thrive beneath the city's lustrous veneer. Someday a rain will wash all the scum off the streets. 

I'm back behind the wheel in Los Santos Life RP, a dedicated roleplaying server within GTA 5's FiveM open source community mod. Several months out of prison, I've had my taxi licence reissued and I'm working 12-hour days, seven days a week for the Downtown Cab Co. I'd love to tell you my newfound work ethic means I've left my days of robbing banks, committing fraud and making a general nuisance of myself behind, but I can't. There are just too many questionable people in this town. And that definitely still includes me. 

Lifeinvader is GTA's answer to Facebook. Located in the game's affluent Rockford Hills area, I pull up outside its headquarters and await my hire. I sound my horn, and a trio of loud and excitable chaps spill from the building into my cab. They direct me to Legion Square—the server's spawn point and unofficial central hub. They chat for a bit amongst themselves before turning to me.  

"Do you like hunting, driver?" one of the men asks.  

One of the most wonderful things about Los Santos Life is how committed some of its visitors are to their characters. I'm sure this is true in other roleplaying communities, but doing so within credible, real life-aping worlds interests me more than within high or low fantasy settings. Players often assume backstories, accents, personalities—they dress their profiles in clothes consistent with their income, and splash for vehicles true to their jobs. A journalist isn't likely to show up to work in a three-piece suit, for example, nor would you expect a builder to drive a supercar. 

I tell the man that hunting isn't really for me, despite the fact I eat meat. I'm branded a hypocrite and briefly teased by the three of them. I'm told to "get some balls" and that, "seriously, you'll love it if you try it." I continue to shrug them off till they eventually return to their own conversation. And, wow, do they seem clued-up on trophy hunting.

Like, really clued-up. They chat about their parents' "game rooms", different types of guns and ammunition, and the most strategic ways to subdue wild animals before execution. They mention real places and names like Philip Glass (this man, not the composer), Kendall Jones and Walter Palmer. I recognise the latter as that dentist who paid $50,000 to slaughter a lion in Zimbabwe, and I Google the others, which makes for depressing reading. If this is roleplay, I think to myself, it's really fucking good roleplay.  

As I pull up alongside Legion, the group's conversation turns to San Andreas. They talk about hunting in North Chumash and selling their spoils to the slaughterhouse Downtown. They've been patched out since, but both hunting sites and abattoirs were visitable locations within LS Life's modded GTA 5 map until recently.  

I'm now thrown. This lot could have simply studied real world trophy hunting to suit their in-game characters' narratives—but they appear so convincing. I decide to call their bluff. I tell them that, if they're up for it, I'll accompany them on their next trip up north and see what the fuss is about. They agree, and we arrange to meet back at Legion after I've dealt with my next hire.

I return to find two of the original three waiting for me at the square. I'm told one of the group is otherwise engaged, and that he'll hook back up with us at the abattoir later on. It's better with three anyway, I'm assured, as we're less likely to scare off our prey in a smaller group. We pull onto the Great Ocean Highway and head for the hunting site. And the lads start at it again. 

The discussion pinballs from bounties, to "going rates", to the thrill of the kill and, again, I'm unsure what's real, if anything, and what's for show.

By approaching the roadside kiosk, we activate a marker that switches our clothes and equips us with hunting rifles. We set off up the dusty track and wade deeper into the woods. A rabbit darts in the opposite direction and—BANG. It's down. Panicked, a deer surfaces from behind a tree. BANG. It's gone too. The boys contain hushed laughter, and congratulate one another as they go. They turn to me and point towards the crest of the hill ahead. 

We're deep into the trees now, in search of a bigger target. We spot a cougar. One chap motions to the left and then to the right. They split off in either direction, and it's clear they want me to take this one on. I pause… I take a breath… I raise my gun. The cougar's in my sights. I pause for longer still. I steady my grip. I take aim.

BANG! 

I fire a warning shot into the air, and the birds above scatter. I reload. BANG. I shoot the chap on the right in the leg before, BANG, I finish him off with one to the head. The cougar bursts into life, screams, circles, and pounces on the hunter to the left. He howls as the imposing cat throws him to floor and tears him apart. The boys are dead. And before the lion turns to me, I leg it back to the taxi. 

Upon death, Los Santos Life makes players wait ten minutes before respawning. During this time the recently deceased can seek help from emergency services roleplayers. I've no idea how many EMS staff are online, but I book it back down the Great Ocean Highway nevertheless, racking up multiple automated speed fines as I go. Cars whizz past on either side as I rocket down the median, and as I reach the outskirts of the city I almost collide with an oncoming ambulance.      

I pull up outside the slaughterhouse, and the third guy is waiting for me. 

"That was quick," he says. "Where are the others?" 

I tell him they're already inside, and that I'd dropped them off before nipping to the clothes shop round the corner to change my outfit. I let him lead the way into the back, through the swing doors, past the hanging meat carcasses, and put two in the back of his head. No witnesses, yeah? 

If you disagree with someone's ideologies in real life, you'll ideally have a polite conversation about it. In this roleplaying server, I instead became a Travis Bickle-like character, taking justice into my own hands and giving the hunters an ironic fate. I suppose we could've just talked it through, before we wandered off into the woods to hunt pretend animals. But that wouldn't have been very GTA, would it? 

GTA Online's Motor Wars offers triple RP and GTA$ this weekend. For the remainder of the week, it'll grant you double. 

Born during last year's PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds-inspired battle royale renaissance, Motor Wars' weaponised vehicles, small maps, and busy UI stands it apart from the likes of PUBG and Fortnite. There's no forced stealth, no scavenging and no long distance pilgrimaging. You land with a fully-loaded gun, and your omnipresent minimap is brimming with colour-coded blips that identify vehicles, enemies and weapons throughout. 

With that, Motor Wars is one of my favourite Adversary Modes—assuming you have 28 bodies (two to four teams) to pack out the match. With three-times the spoils up for grabs, though, I suspect this weekend, June 29th–July 2nd, could be busier than previous bonus periods. 

Elsewhere, this week's GTA Online update offers double GTA$ and RP on Smuggler's Run (with 2x speed on bunker research), Biker Business and Special Cargo Sell Missions. To compliment that, Executive Offices, Special Cargo Warehouses, Vehicle Cargo Warehouses, Biker Clubhouses, and Biker Businesses are all half price. 

As I've said umpteen times in the past, I reckon Executive Offices are the best way to earn fast and vast cash in free play—whose cheapest locations now cost just $500,000. Don't trust me? Learn how to make money in GTA Online your own way.

Moreover, Avengers are again 30 percent less their recommended value this week, now $3,351,250. But I've been flirting with picking up the Grotti X80 Proto for some time. With the same discount, that'll set me back $1,890,000. 

More discounts live on this Rockstar Newswire post. Be sure to sign in to GTA Online this week and next for a bonus $300,000.  

Following yesterday's nightclub update reveal, GTA Online has announced its Guest List—an initiative that grants players access to "the best of LS club life along with extracurricular business perks". Simply sign in between now and Monday, July 2 to join the Guest List. Return between July 3-9 and receive GTA$300,000, and an Orange Wireframe Bodysuit, free of charge.

After teasing a star-studded techno summer soundtrack last month, GTA Online confirmed its incoming nightclub-themed update yesterday. Top DJs The Black Madonna, Tale of Us, Solomon and Dixon featured in a teaser trailer, while Rockstar suggested the Los Santos dance club scene is "about to blow open" next month. 

"Get on the guest list for access to the best of LS club life along with extracurricular business perks," reads this Rockstar Newswire post. "Log into GTA Online at any point between today and Monday July 2nd and you will be automatically added to the Guest List. Qualifying Guest List players can return to GTA Online later in July to receive new and exclusive rewards for logging in each week." 

The post then lists perks like weekly bonus cash windfalls "ranging between GTA$100,000 to GTA$350,000", and discounts on new vehicles such as the MTL Pounder Custom—a so-called "highly customizable asset for your lucrative business deliveries"—and the Ocelot Swinger sports car.

As someone not overly enamoured by GTA Online's racing circuit, the Southern San Andreas Super Sport Series has somewhat passed me by. But as someone who spent several years partying in Ibiza and Glasgow's nightclub circuit, I'm all about seeing Tale of Us et al tearing it up in Los Santos. 

According to this post, the nightclub update arrives "thanks to the efforts of one well-known, well-connected and somewhat financially sound impresario." Have another look at the trailer. Is that Gay Tony up there on the mezzanine?

Last month, DJs The Black Madonna and Tale of Us teased a collaboration with fellow artists Solomun and Dixon for something happening this summer in the city of Los Santos. Today Rockstar revealed that all four artists will bring their beats to Grand Theft Auto Online's new Nightclubs, sweaty palaces of the underground dance scene that also provide a respectable cover for your shadier business affairs. 

Full details won't be released for awhile, but Rockstar said players will design, set up, staff, and promote their new establishments, working to build their reputations and popularity, and thus the money they bring in. Club management is "honest work," which is of course what you want in a money-laundering operation, and that's apparently what's really going on here. Hey, it's GTA, what did you expect? 

As useful as this new avenue for criminality may be for your bottom line, the real attraction here is the appearance of The Black Madonna, Tale of Us, Solomun, and Dixon as themselves (or perhaps some thinly-veiled fascimile?) in the game. That could well make GTA Online's club scene the most interesting thing to happen to dancing in videogames since The Asylum.    

GTA Online's latest weekly update adds seven new Issi-sporting, Italian Job-style races. In no particular order, the Repeater, The Issi Job, the Goal, the Sidewinder, the Turbine Trouble the City Jumper, and the Paleto Palace races all offer double RP and GTA$ and are described by Rockstar as such: The Southern San Andreas racing circuit has been hijacked by Britain's fiercest export since Hugh Harrison—the Weeny Issi Classic. Pilot the pint-sized star of The Vespucci Job against 29 other battle-scarred racers across seven all new tracks designed to put your compact automotive skills to the ultimate test.

After its recent double RP and GTA$ showing, GTA Online's Prison Break heist offers similar spoils this week. Likewise, its Humane Labs Raid and the Doomsday Heist Act 2's The Bogdan Problem finale get the same treatment—the latter of which will net you $2,375,000 all told. Which is a good return for not too much effort.  

I was a wee bit hard on poor Simeone last week, but I stand by what I said: his Contact missions are guff. Lamar's, on the other hand, are a bit more sophisticated, a bit more fun, and are this week's boon. Funeral Party launched with GTA Online— it's a good laugh, and is one job I'm particularly looking forward to trying again.

Similar to last week's discounted properties, Facilities are going for 40 percent less their normal cost; while Hangars and Executive Offices have 50 percent off. You'll need the former to take on the aforementioned Bogdan Problem—whose returns you might spend on any one of the vehicles listed here. 

I reckon the best shout there is The Avenger, but the Valkyrie chopper is an equally worthy investment. At 30 percent off, they come in at $3,351,250 and $2,653,350 respectively. If you fall short, here's how to make money in GTA Online. 

Oh, and mind look out for your World Cup-inspired bonus. It should be in your Maze Bank account by now. 

Not to rag on Simeon too much up there in the strapline, but his GTA Online Contact missions are pretty guff. The prospect of netting double RP and GTA$ to carry out his string of tedious carjackings is neat, but, honestly, probably not enough to motivate me. I'd rather be robbing banks. Lucky for me, a selection of GTA Online's heists are also subject to the same offer.

From now through June 18, all three stages of The Fleeca Job, all five stages of The Prison Break, and the Doomsday Heist: Act 1's Data Breaches finale are all in-line for double money and experience. 

There are no new vehicles in this week's update, but there are a range of vehicle discounts—my favourite of which is the Back to the Future flying Delorean-aping Imponte Deluxo. With 25 percent off, it's on sale for $3,541,125, or, if you complete its Doomsday Heist preparatory missions, $2,662,500 at trade price.

On the property front, Facilities are 40 percent off; while Hangars and Executive Offices are 50 percent less their normal price. You'll make money in GTA Online whichever way you see fit, but I'll always vouch for the latter as the best way to earn fast and vast amounts of cash in free play. 

Assuming you signed in before yesterday, don't forget to do so after Thursday, June 14 to snag your $250,000 of free GTA money. Check out this week's GTA Online update in full via the Rockstar Newswire.