Everything new in the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist update

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

The GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist is one of the largest updates Rockstar has ever added its multiplayer GTA world. It introduced a completely fresh private island location, which was the first new area added since the launch of GTA Online back in 2013. Sadly, you can't just fly, sail, or swim to this remote paradise, as access is based around planning and executing a heist there and things aren't as idyllic as they seem, despite the luxurious surroundings.

This unique heist can also be completed entirely solo, so you won't have to worry about gathering a crew together to get it done, meaning it can be quite lucrative for solo GTA Online players. Regardless of your approach, there's plenty of loot to be had – including GTA Online Treasure Chests and the new GTA Online Panther Statue – if you play your cards right, so here's everything you need to know about the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist.

How do you start the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist

To get started on the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist, you need to head to The Music Locker, the new nightclub that's opened under The Diamond Casino. There you'll meet Miguel Madrazo, son of Martin Madrazo, who fills you in on his plan to stage a heist on Cayo Perico and recover incriminating evidence about his family. After that, you'll need to purchase the Kosatka submarine HQ from Warstock Cache and Carry, which will serve as your base of operations for planning and executing the new heist and can be decked out with various upgrades including the GTA Online sonar station.

Once you own the Kosatka, you'll need to head out to your submarine to start the planning phase of the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist. Unfortunately as there are no living quarters aboard the sub, you can't use the spawn option to fast travel there so you'll have to get there the old-fashioned way. When you reach the coast, you can use the Interaction Menu > Services > Kosatka > Request Dinghy option to spawn a boat nearby to get you out to the sub. If you can't find your submarine on the map, check the Interaction Menu > Services > Kosatka > Request Kosatka option to make sure it isn't currently in storage.

How do you access the GTA Online Cayo Perico island

If you've gone to the map to see where the GTA Online Cayo Perico island is, then unfortunately you're going to be disappointed. As things stand, the private island is a completely separate location that can only be accessed while working on the new heist, and is not available in free roam to explore at your leisure. At any point during the heist setup, you can access the island to scope it out for additional intel, which is as close to free roam as you can get. After completing the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist as host you can return and attend the beach party, but this won't allow you to explore the rest of the island unfortunately.

What areas of the island do you need to scope for the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist

After sneaking away from the party on the island, you'll need to reach the entrance of El Rubio's compound without getting spotted by the guards or security cameras. You can see their cones of vision on your minimap, so as long as you stay off the roads and keep an eye on what's nearby you should be fine. You can also jump in the water off the west coast and swim around all the guards if you want to avoid them completely. Once you reach the communications tower and hack the signal box, you'll need to configure the connections as follows:

GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist communications tower hack — (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

You can then scan through the security cameras to identify useful intel for the carrying out the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist. The following items can be identified as you cycle through the cameras by pressing right:

Basement: Madrazo files
Basement Storage: Cash
Office - Cam 1: Fingerprint scanner
West Storage - Cam 1: Painting, Cash
North Storage - Cam 1: Cash
North Storage - Cam 2: Gold
South Storage - Cam 1: Cash
South Storage - Cam 2: Gold
North Gate: North Gate entry point
North Wall: North Wall entry point
South Gate: South Gate entry point
South Wall: South Wall entry point

With that done, you then need to head to the North Dock undetected, and again you can swim to it and avoid any guard attention. When you get there, you'll find the weed in the westmost warehouse building, and the bolt cutters are on top of an electrical box by the dock opposite. With those identified, you're free to explore the rest of the island and scope out further areas to help with planning the new heist. We suggest visiting the following locations:

Main Dock infiltration point
North Drop Zone infiltration point
Control Tower point of interest

You'll be automatically directed to flag the Control Tower to Pavel when you return to the airstrip anyway, so grab that and any other locations of interest then speak to your pilot to fly back to Los Santos. Once there, return to the Kosatka submarine HQ to plan the next stages of your heist.

What is the GTA Online Heist payout for Cayo Perico

The GTA Online Heist payout for completing the Cayo Perico job depends on a number of factors, but mainly the primary target you steal and how much secondary loot you secure along the way. During your recon you'll identify cash, weed, cocaine, gold, and paintings that can be sold to the buyer in addition to the primary target, but as there's only so much that each player can carry, teaming up with others can help you score a larger payout overall. The primary targets have the follow values on normal and hard difficulty:

Madrazo Files (first playthrough only) - $1.1m
Sinsimito Tequila - $900k / $990k
Ruby Necklace - $1m / $1.1m
Bearer Bonds - $1.1m / $1.21m
Pink Diamond - $1.3m / $1.43m
Panther Statue - $1.9m / $2.09m

What vehicles were added with the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist

The main new vehicle available with the GTA Online Cayo Perico Heist update is of course the Kosatka submarine, available from Warstock Cache and Carry. The starting price is $2.2m, though optional extras including a sonar station, guided missiles, a weapon workshop, and built in Sparrow helicopter and Kraken Avisa minisub can take the total cost up to $9.8m if you select everything. The following vehicles have also been added:

Legendary Motorsport:
Grotti Itali RSX sports car - $3,465,000 ($2,598,750 trade)
Southern San Andreas Super Autos:
BF Weevil compact car - $870,000 ($652,500 trade)
Dinka Veto Classic go-kart - $895,000
Dinka Veto Modern go-kart - $995,000
Grotti Brioso 300 compact car - $610,000 ($457,000 trade)
Vapid Slamtruck vehicle hauler - $1,310,000
Warstock Cache and Carry:
Kraken Avisa minisub (Kosatka upgrade) - $1,545,000
Sparrow helicopter (Kosatka upgrade) - $1,815,000
Annihilator Stealth helicopter - $3,870,000 ($2,902,500 trade)
Dinka Verus off-road quad bike - $192,000
Kurtz 31 patrol boat - $2,955,000 ($2,216,250 trade)
Maibatsu Manchez Scout military motorcycle - $225,000
Mammoth Squaddie SUV - $1,130,000
Nagasaki Weaponized Dinghy boat - $1,850,000
Pegassi Toreador submersible car - $3,660,000
Ro-86 Alkonost jet - $4,350,000 ($3,262,500 trade)
Vapid Winky jeep - $1,100,000 ($825,000 trade)
Vetir truck - $1,630,000 ($1,222,500 trade)
DockTease:
Shitzu Longfin speedboat - $2,125,000 ($1,593,750 trade)

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