Hyland Point used to be a cakewalk. You'd move some product, dodge a few cops, and build your stash until you were essentially the king of the block. But then the Schedule 1 cartel update dropped, and suddenly, everyone's getting their dealers jumped or their dead drops emptied.
Honestly, the game changed overnight. It’s not just about the chemistry recipes anymore. Now you’ve got the Benzies family breathing down your neck, and they aren’t exactly interested in "sharing" the market.
Most people are still trying to play the game like it’s March 2025. You can’t do that. The schedule for these updates—especially the transition from the beta branch to the main game—has been a bit of a whirlwind, and if you aren't tracking the influence mechanics, you're basically just handing your cash over to the Benzies.
The Benzies Family and Your New Reality
The heart of the Schedule 1 cartel update is the introduction of the Benzies family. These guys don’t just show up the moment you start a new save. You’ve gotta put in some work first. Specifically, you won't hear a peep from them until you’ve unlocked a few customers in Westville.
Once you hit that threshold, Thomas Benzies is going to slide into your DMs. Literally. You’ll get a mysterious text that kicks off the mission "Unfavorable Agreements." You meet him at Taco Ticklers, and he lays it out: "Stop dealing outside of Northtown and Westville, or things get messy."
A lot of players think they can just ignore him. Big mistake.
If you refuse the deal, the Benzies don't just send a mean text. They send goons. We're talking:
- Ambushes: They’ll jump you when you’re mid-run.
- Dealer Robberies: Your hired help will get rolled, and you’ll lose the product and the cash.
- Customer Theft: They will literally swoop in and sell to your people before you get there.
Dealing with the Schedule 1 Cartel Update Mechanics
The biggest shift in version 0.4.0 is the "Cartel Influence" system. It basically acts as a gatekeeper for the map. You can’t just stroll into Downtown because you have the level for it anymore.
Each region has an influence bar. If the cartel's grip is too strong, that area is locked. You have to actively lower their influence before you can expand.
How do you actually lower influence? Graffiti. It sounds kinda goofy, but it’s the primary mechanic. You grab some spray paint from the Gas Mart (remember, you only get one can per rank-up, so don’t waste it) and tag specific spots around the map. Every tag reduces their hold and nets you some XP.
The developer, TVGS, also tweaked the "passive" gains. The cartel used to just get stronger over time while you sat in your hideout mixing meth. Now, they’ve disabled passive influence gain to encourage you to actually get out there and fight for your turf.
To Truce or Not to Truce?
When Thomas Benzies offers you that initial deal, you’re stuck with a choice. If you agree, you’re basically a wholesaler for the cartel. You’ll have to drop off large quantities of product at Hyland Manor 2-3 times a week.
It feels like a rip-off because they demand wholesale prices, but it buys you peace. No robberies. No ambushes. For a lot of players who are still getting their production lines automated, this is actually the smart move.
Just don't miss a deadline. If you're late, they halve your pay. If you miss the 24-hour extension? The truce is over, and they’re coming for your head.
What’s Actually in the 0.4.0 Patch?
The Schedule 1 cartel update brought way more than just new NPCs. It was a massive technical overhaul too. They optimized the save files—disabling something called JSON pretty-print—which basically means your game won't chug as hard when it's auto-saving your massive drug empire.
We also got:
- The Hotbox: A new vehicle that’s basically essential for moving larger weights.
- The Pump Shotgun: Because sometimes a pistol doesn't send a loud enough message.
- Hyland Manor: You can actually buy this place now, but only after you finish the Benzies storyline.
- Haircuts: Long slicked-back, the "Tony," and the close buzzcut. You gotta look the part, right?
The economy took a hit, though. Resell values on weapons were lowered, so you can't just farm guns from dead cops to get rich anymore. You actually have to sell drugs. What a concept.
The Roadmap: What's Coming Next in 2026?
TVGS has been pretty transparent about the fact that they're still in Early Access until at least 2027. The Schedule 1 cartel update was just the first major pillar.
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According to the latest roadmap, we’re looking at some wild additions later this year. They're planning to add heroin, shrooms, and MDMA to the production list. But more interestingly, they're working on "Distribution Events."
Imagine a biker gang rolling into Hyland Point. They’ll want to buy every gram of meth you have in one go. Or businesspeople coming to town who are looking for high-purity cocaine. These are the "bulk buy" opportunities that will finally make those massive warehouse setups worth it.
They’re also talking about:
- Police Raids: Not just getting chased on the street, but the cops actually kicking in your door.
- Evidence Rooms: If you get busted, your stuff goes to the station. You’ll have the option to break in and steal it back.
- Parkour: Better movement for vaulting fences and climbing roofs, which is going to be a lifesaver during cartel ambushes.
Practical Steps for Mastering the New Update
If you're jumping back into Hyland Point today, don't just rush Westville. You'll get crushed.
Start with a solid stash. Before you trigger the Benzies meeting, make sure you have a decent surplus of product. Once you're in a truce, you'll be expected to deliver large amounts to Hyland Manor frequently. If your production is slow, you’ll fail the missions and end up in a war you aren't ready for.
Stock up on spray paint. Every time you rank up, go to the Gas Mart immediately. Do not skip this. If the cartel influence gets too high, you’ll find yourself boxed into Northtown with no way to grow.
Check the beta branch. TVGS usually drops the "Schedule 1 cartel update" iterations on the Steam beta branch first. If you want to see the new features before they're polished and released to the main game, right-click the game in your Steam library, go to properties, and opt into the beta.
Watch your dealers. If you aren't in a truce, don't leave your dealers out on the street with 50 grams of product. The Benzies goons will target the dealers with the most valuable inventory. Keep your distribution lean and fast until you've lowered the local influence.
Hyland Point is a lot meaner than it used to be. The Schedule 1 cartel update made sure of that. But honestly? It’s also a lot more fun. The stakes actually feel real now. Instead of just managing a spreadsheet of prices, you’re managing a territory.
Stay on top of the tag spots, keep your deliveries to Hyland Manor on time, and maybe buy that pump shotgun sooner rather than later. You're gonna need it.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the official Discord or the Steam community hubs. The devs are active there, and since the community voted for this cartel expansion over other options last June, they’re really leaning into the feedback. If you find a bug—like the one where dead NPCs in the ocean weren't "counting" as dead—report it. They’ve been patching this stuff pretty aggressively.