GTA 5 Celebrates 4th of July With Extra Cash and Cheap Airstrikes

With tomorrow being the 4th of July, Rockstar has kicked off a special event in Grand Theft Auto V's multiplayer component, GTA Online, to celebrate. Beginning today and running through Sunday, July 6, GTA Online players will have the opportunity to rack up some extra in-game cash and experience, as well as wreak mayhem on the cheap.

A special Independence Day Special Event playlist launches today offering a selection of Rockstar-designed jobs for players to partake in. These include races featuring vehicles introduced in the limited-time-only USA-themed update that came out earlier this week, including the Sovereign motorcycle and Liberator monster truck. Any jobs played in this playlist will award both double GTA$ (GTA Online's currency) and RP (reputation points, Online's experience equivalent).

Other perks players can enjoy over the next few days include a 25 percent discount on heavy ammo--covering RPGs, grenade launchers, and miniguns--and, more intriguingly, in my estimation, a 75 percent discount on airstrikes. If that's not your style, deliveries of heavy vehicles are free during the event, allowing you to flatten everything in your path with quick access to the new monster truck.

Rockstar will also be giving away $1 million in GTA$, as well as a vanity license plate that reads "AMERICA," to the best Snapmatic photo taken in-game. To be eligible, you'll need to log in to Rockstar Social Club and add the hashtag #INDEPENDENCEDAY to your photo by Sunday.

If you're more interested in real-world giveaways, Rockstar has five prize packs of GTA-themed gear--including a Vice City beach ball, GTA IV aluminum bat, and more--that it will be giving away this weekend. To enter, simply visit Rockstar's website.

Have you checked out the new GTA Online content released this week yet? It's only available until sometime in mid-July, so be sure to do so soon and then let us know what you think in the comments below.