GTA Online Just Added a Drift Event in 2026 — Because Apparently GTA V Will Never Die

GTA Online drift event with Japanese kei truck drifting through neon-lit city streets

It's 2026, GTA VI is on the horizon, and Rockstar Games is still pumping out weekly events for GTA Online — a game built on top of GTA V, which launched in 2013. This week's offering? A Drift Event. Because nothing says "innovation" like adding tire smoke to a 12-year-old game engine.

What's New This Week

The Drift Event Week runs from February 26 through March 4, 2026, and it actually comes packed with a surprising amount of content:

  • New vehicle: The Shitzu Keitora — a tiny Japanese kei truck that Rockstar describes as "packing serious power into its diminutive frame." You can test drive it free at the LS Car Meet.
  • Drift Tuning Upgrades: Four vehicles are now eligible — the Übermacht Sentinel XS, Vapid Dominator GT, Dinka RT 3000, and the new Keitora. All drift upgrades are 30% off.
  • 3X GTA$ and RP: All Drift Races pay triple rewards (6X for GTA+ Members).
  • Free vehicles: The Declasse Drift Walton L35 and Dinka Blista Kanjo are both free this week.
  • 5X LS Car Meet Rep: For the underground racing enthusiasts.

The Elephant in the Room

Let's be honest: the content itself is fine. Free cars, triple payouts, new drift mechanics — it's a solid week for GTA Online players. But there's something almost absurd about Rockstar still treating GTA Online like it's a live-service game in its prime.

GTA V has sold over 200 million copies. GTA Online generates hundreds of millions in annual revenue through Shark Card sales. And here we are, still getting weekly event rotations, community race series, and carefully calibrated discount schedules.

The Business Model That Won't Quit

The drift event also includes Auto Shop robbery bonuses (extra $300K per contract), 2X GTA$ on Weed Sell Missions, and a final push to collect Lunar New Year items before they disappear. It's a masterclass in engagement mechanics — stack enough incentives and even players who've "quit" GTA Online will log back in for one more week.

GTA+ Members get double the bonuses, naturally. Because of course there's a subscription tier for a game that costs $20 in 2026.

The Bottom Line

The GTA Online Drift Event is exactly what it sounds like: more content for a game that refuses to age gracefully. The Shitzu Keitora is genuinely fun, the drift mechanics are well-executed, and the free vehicles are a nice touch. But every new event week is also a reminder that Rockstar has figured out how to keep the money printer running indefinitely — and has very little incentive to rush GTA VI out the door when the current game still prints cash.

Fire up those drift tunes. Rockstar's going to keep milking this engine until the wheels literally fall off.