New ‘KnoWay’ robotaxis wreak havoc in upcoming Grand Theft Auto Online DLC

Grand Theft Auto Online’s latest expansion includes robotaxis from a fictional but well-known company named “KnoWay,” whose sole purpose appears to be to cause havoc.

A trailer released on Friday shows a KnoWay van equipped with lidar sensors barreling through city streets, destroying other cars and smashing through fake company signs.

All of this is far more disruptive and destructive than some of the worst things done by Waymo’s robotaxis, but the self-driving cars in the game still resemble the company’s earlier-generation Chrysler Pacifica vans. The expansion is called “A Safehouse in the Hills” and will be available starting December 10th.

It’s unclear whether the van seen in the trailer was commandeered by a playable character in true Grand Theft Auto fashion, or whether it went out of control. However, the latter seems more likely, as Rockstar Games says that as part of the DLC, players will be encouraged to “stop the development of a mass surveillance network in an all-new, action-packed adventure.” (The trailer also teases a storyline involving an AI assistant named “Haviland,” so it looks like the entire tech world is part of this particular storyline.)

Waymo said it would deny government requests for footage captured by its vehicles if they were “overbroad and illegal.” But the robotaxis have nevertheless drawn criticism for being part of a growing surveillance state. As a result of the dissatisfaction, the company’s vehicles became the target of multiple vandalism attacks. Waymo SUVs have burst into flames, been wrecked, and had their tires slashed in various cities over the past few years.

As the in-game tagline for KnoWay’s “autonomous ride-hailing system” is “We know where you’re going,” Rockstar is clearly leveraging the same dynamic here. It’s not hard to imagine some DLC players taking their frustrations out on virtual vehicles once the update is released later this month.

Waymo declined to comment.

At TechCrunch Disrupt in October, Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana spoke out against vandalism, saying the company is “very focused on working with law enforcement to ensure we go after the people who commit these crimes against our vehicles.”