The Rival Cartel update for Schedule 1 is officially out of beta and now part of the live build, bringing with it the kind of threat the game always lacked. If you thought running your empire was getting a little too comfortable, that’s about to change.
Rival Cartel finally brings pressure
Before this update, the deeper you got into Schedule 1, the easier it became. Sure, your operation expanded, but the challenges didn’t. The police were barely more than background noise, and once you had your routes down, the thrill of risk disappeared.
The Rival Cartel patch fixes that in a big way by introducing the Benzies, a new faction that actually pushes back. One minute you’re doing your usual drop-offs, the next you’re catching lead from two strangers hiding in bushes outside your apartment. It’s the first time in 50 hours of play that I felt genuinely threatened.
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How the Benzies change the flow
What makes the Benzies so effective isn’t just that they show up, it’s how they do it. Their attacks feel unpredictable. You won’t see them on the map. You won’t get a warning. And if you’ve been ignoring the game’s weapons system like I did, you’re going to be scrambling.
This isn’t just about upping the difficulty. It adds real variety to your moment-to-moment choices. Now you have to:
- Carry heat, even if you’re just heading to the stash house
- Rethink your usual delivery spots
- Keep eyes on alleyways and corners
- Stop assuming you’re safe just because the cops are dumb
That extra layer of tension makes every run feel alive again.
How to switch off beta and update
If you’ve been playing the beta version of Schedule 1, switching over is simple. You’ll find the option to revert in your game client under the Betas tab. Once selected, the live build will auto-download. From there, you’re good to go, and yes, the Rival Cartel changes are already baked in.
Schedule 1’s Rival Cartel is the reset it needed
After clocking dozens of hours, I thought I’d seen all Schedule 1 had to offer. But the Rival Cartel update gave the game back its teeth. The streets feel sharp again, and now, standing still means catching bullets. The empire won’t run itself.
