Is it Better to Do the Cayo Perico Heist Solo in GTA Online?
For those looking to make serious bank in Grand Theft Auto Online, running the Cayo Perico heist is one of the best methods out there. But should you assemble a crew or fly solo? After extensive testing across dozens of runs, I can safely say that going solo is absolutely the way to maximize your profits. Sure it‘s harder without a team for distractions, but the payout potential is insane if you can master the stealth approach. Let‘s dig into the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself!
Taking Everything for Yourself: Pros of Solo Cayo Perico
Doing Cayo Perico with a partner or full squad means you need to split the earnings afterwards. Even an 85/15 cut isn‘t nearly as profitable as keeping the entire bag for yourself. Through precise routes and evasion tactics, skilled players can solo grab elite challenge awards and the maximum take every time. This includes:
- The rare Panther Statue as the primary target – worth a whopping $$1.9 million solo
- Filling your duffel bag with gold secondaries – up to $500k+ on top!
- The extra $100k from cracking El Rubio‘s safe
With an optimized run nabbing these rewards, you can score over $2.7 million per finale. That works out to over $1 million per hour grinding Cayo solo once you get proficient. And not having to schedule around other players means you have full control to pop right back into the finale every time the cooldown timer expires.
Below I‘ve compiled data across a sample of 20 solo Cayo Perico runs to showcase the payout ranges and income potential with different target tiers:
| Primary Target | Low End | High End |
|---|---|---|
| Tequila | $900k | $990k |
| Ruby Necklace | $1.0 million | $1.1 million |
| Bearer Bonds | $1.1 million | $1.21 million |
| Panther Statue | $1.9 million | $2.09 million |
Adding max secondary gold sees each payout jump up about $500k+ extra! As you can see, even the lower tier targets like Tequila can earn you a cool million with gold – but that Panther statue is the real jackpot!
The Challenges of Solo Stealth: Cons to Consider
While running Cayo Perico solo has its financial upsides, I‘d be remiss not to mention some downsides to watch out for:
The prep missions can feel extremely tedious and repetitive without a partner or team to help. You need to source all the prep equipment, stash vehicles in strategic locations, gather intel, and scope for entry points all on your own. It adds hours to the process.
Maintaining stealth alone is extremely difficult. Without a second player drawing guard aggro or running keycard distractions, one wrong move gets the whole island swarming after you. The margin for error is razor thin.
Nailing hacking minigames within the time limit is MUCH harder solo. Having someone cover you or trade off makes cracking vaults and locked doors significantly less stressful.
You can‘t access certain loot areas within El Rubio‘s compound. This forces you to bypass cash or additional gold stashes only accessible via dual keycard simultaneous swipes. Limiting the max secondary take.
However, while these cons should definitely be factored in before attempting solo, the payout potential is just too good to ignore. With enough practice and honed strategy, you can overcome these hurdles and walk away with that sweet solo duffel bag stuffed with cash!
Optimizing Your Heist: Advanced Solo Cayo Perico Strats
If you want to excel running Cayo Perico alone, follow these proven expert tips:
- Manipulate the heist finale start – force a daytime infiltration to simplify the stealth run
- Prioritize disruption prep missions – sabotage the island‘s security and response
- Study solo entry strategies – find methods into the compound that avoid human guards
- Equip silenced weapons + melee – one unsilenced shot can foil any solo run
- Plan an efficient primary target loot path – don‘t waste time backtracking all over the island!
Learning tricks like timing your vehicle drops, preparing aircraft getaways, and parachuting off the tower takes plenty of practice. But once perfected, you‘ll have a smooth formula netting over $2 million per hour!
For specific prep mission tips, detailed entry strategies, and the best solo loadouts check out my dedicated solo stealth guide. I update this constantly as new route optimizations and exploit tricks are discovered!
Should You Attempt Solo Cayo Perico in 2024?
The Cayo Perico heist is without question the premier money making method in the current GTA Online meta. With enough dedication to mastering flawless solo runs, you can earn over $1 million per hour – far exceeding any business or activity. Minimizing failures and frustrations around the stealth hurdles just takes some passion and perseverance.
After breaking down all the pros, cons, advanced tactics, and income projections the verdict is clear in my book: flying solo to infiltrate El Rubio‘s fortress is absolutely worth the effort. As long as you prep smart and avoid going in guns blazing, the rewards massively outweigh the challenges. Let me know down in the comments if this guide convinces you to take on Cayo alone like an elite heister mastermind! I‘m happy to answer any other questions to help you obliterate those profit records.
