Apparently crime does pay, as Rockstar is rewarding Grand Theft Auto Online players with the first installment of a $500,000 in-game payout later this week.

This sudden infusion of $250,000 serves as a mea culpa for the rocky GTA Online launch. Reports of players going missing and cars vanishing appeared frequently following the game's debut, and while Rockstar has issued patches to amend these issues, the company has also decided to reward player patience with a fat stack of virtual bills.

As far as when your character might receive his or her cash, that remains unknown. Rockstar tweeted its plans this morning, but offered no more specificity than, "sometime this week." In the meantime, make sure you qualify for the handout by reading through these eligibility guidelines.