Grand Theft Auto V is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV, and the fifteenth instalment overall. Set within the fictional state of San Andreas, based on Southern California, the single-player story follows three protagonists—retired bank robber Michael De Santa (Ned Luke), street gangster Franklin Clinton (Shawn Fonteno), and drug dealer and gunrunner Trevor Philips (Steven Ogg)—and their attempts to commit heists while under pressure from a corrupt government agency and powerful criminals. Players freely roam San Andreas's open-world countryside and fictional city of Los Santos, based on Los Angeles.
The game world is navigated on foot and by vehicle, from either a third-person or first-person perspective. Players control the protagonists throughout single-player and switch among them, both during and outside missions. The story is centred on the heist sequences, and many missions involve shooting and driving gameplay. A "wanted" system governs the aggression of law enforcement response to players who commit crimes. In Grand Theft Auto Online, the game's online multiplayer mode, up to 30 players engage in a variety of different cooperative and competitive game modes.
Shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide, the game's development began around the time of Grand Theft Auto IV release. The developers drew influence from many of their previous projects (such as Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3 and designed the game around three lead protagonists to innovate on the core structure of its predecessors. Much of the development work constituted the open world's creation, and several team members conducted field research around California to capture footage for the design team. The game's soundtrack features an original score composed by a team of producers who collaborated over several years. Grand Theft Auto V was released in September 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, in November 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, in April 2015 for Windows, and in March 2022 for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Extensively marketed and widely anticipated, the game broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, earning in its first day and in its first three days. It received critical acclaim, with praise directed at its multiple-protagonist design, open world, presentation and gameplay. However, its depiction of violence and women caused controversies. Several gaming publications awarded the game year-end accolades including Game of the Year awards. In retrospect, it is considered one of seventh and eighth generation console gaming's most significant titles and among the best video games ever made. It is the second-best-selling video game of all time with over 230million copies shipped, and one of the most financially successful entertainment products of all time, with nearly in worldwide revenue. Its successor, Grand Theft Auto VI, is scheduled to be released in November 2026.
Gameplay Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game played from either a third-person or first-person perspective. Players complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. Outside of the missions, players may freely roam the open world. Composed of the San Andreas open countryside area, and its fictional Blaine County and city of Los Santos, the world is much larger in area than earlier entries in the series. It may be fully explored after the opening prologue without restriction, although story progress unlocks more gameplay content.
Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, and may run, jump, swim or use vehicles to navigate the world. To accommodate the map's size, the game introduces vehicle types absent in its predecessor Grand Theft Auto IV, such as fixed-wing aircraft. In combat, auto-aim and a cover system may be used to assist against enemies. Should players take damage, their health meter will gradually regenerate to its halfway point. Players respawn at hospitals when their health depletes. If players commit crimes, law enforcement may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the heads-up display (HUD). Stars displayed on the meter indicate the current wanted level (for example, at the maximum five-star level, police helicopters and SWAT teams swarm to lethally dispatch players). Officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. The meter enters a cool-down mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight that displays on the mini-map for a period of time.
In the single-player mode, players control three characters: Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton—criminals whose stories interconnect as they complete missions. Some missions are completed with only one character while others feature two or all three. Outside the missions, players may switch between characters at will by a directional compass on the HUD, although this feature is restricted at certain points during the story. During missions, characters may automatically switch to complete specific objectives. A character's compass avatar will flash red if he is in danger and needs help, and flash white if he has a strategic advantage. Though players complete missions with the protagonists, the more difficult heist missions require aid from AI-controlled accomplices with unique skill sets like computer hacking and driving. If an accomplice survives a successful heist, they take a cut from the cash reward and may be available for later missions with improvements to their unique skills. Some heists afford multiple strategies; in a holdup mission, players may either stealthily subdue civilians with an incapacitating agent or conspicuously storm the venue with guns drawn.
Each character has a set of eight skills that represent their ability in specific areas such as shooting and driving. Though skills improve through play, each character has a skill with expertise by default (e.g. Trevor's flying skill). The eighth "special" skill determines proficiency in an ability that is unique to each respective character. Michael enters bullet time in combat, Franklin slows down time while driving, and Trevor deals twice as much damage to enemies while taking half as much in combat. A meter on each character's HUD depletes when an ability is being used and regenerates when players perform skilful actions (for example, drifting in vehicles as Franklin or performing headshots as Michael).
While free-roaming the game world, players may engage in context-specific activities such as scuba diving and BASE jumping, and visit businesses such as cinemas and strip clubs. Each character has a smartphone for contacting friends, starting activities, and accessing an in-game Internet. The Internet lets players trade in stocks via a stock market. Players may purchase properties such as garages and businesses, upgrade the weapons and vehicles in each character's arsenal, and customise their appearance by purchasing outfits, haircuts and tattoos.
Plot
In 2004, criminals Michael Townley (Ned Luke), Trevor Philips (Steven Ogg), and Brad Snider (Ryan Woodle) partake in a failed robbery in Ludendorff, North Yankton, resulting in Michael being presumed dead. Nine years later, Michael lives with his family in the city of Los Santos under the alias Michael De Santa, having made a secret agreement with Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) agent Dave Norton (Julian Gamble) to stay hidden. Across town, gangbanger Franklin Clinton (Shawn Fonteno) works for a corrupt car salesman and meets Michael while attempting to fraudulently repossess his son's car. The two later become friends. When Michael finds his wife having an affair with her tennis coach, he and Franklin chase the coach to a mansion, which Michael damages in anger. The owner, drug lord Martin Madrazo (Alfredo Huereca), demands monetary compensation, so Michael returns to a life of crime to obtain the funds, enlisting Franklin as an accomplice. With the help of Michael's old friend Lester Crest (Jay Klaitz), a disabled hacker, they rob a jewellery store to pay off the debt.
Meanwhile, Trevor, who lives in squalor in rural Blaine County, hears of the heist and recognises Michael's work; Trevor had believed the FIB killed him in the Ludendorff heist. Trevor finds Michael and reunites with him, forcing the latter to reluctantly accept the former back into his life. As time goes on, the protagonists' lives spiral out of control. Michael's criminal behaviour prompts his family to leave him. When he later becomes a movie producer, he comes into conflict with Devin Weston (Jonathan Walker), a billionaire venture capitalist and corporate raider, who attempts to shut down the studio. Michael thwarts his efforts and inadvertently kills his lawyer, to which Devin vows revenge. Meanwhile, Franklin has to rescue his friend Lamar Davis (Slink Johnson) from rival gangbanger Harold "Stretch" Joseph (Hassan Johnson), who sets up and attempts to kill him multiple times.
Concurrently, Trevor tries to consolidate his control over various black markets in Blaine County, waging war against the Lost outlaw motorcycle club, Latino street gangs, rival meth dealers, the private military company Merryweather, and triad kingpin Wei Cheng (George Cheung). Having broken his agreement with Dave by committing robberies again, Michael is coerced by him and his superior, Steve Haines (Robert Bogue), to perform a series of operations alongside Franklin and Trevor to undermine the International Affairs Agency (IAA). Under Steve's direction and with Lester's help, they attack an armored car carrying funds for the IAA and steal an experimental nerve agent from an IAA lab. As Steve comes under increasing scrutiny, he forces Michael and Franklin to break into the FIB building and erase evidence against him from the servers. Michael takes the opportunity to wipe the data on his own activities, destroying Steve's leverage over him.
After reconciling with his family, Michael starts planning his final heist with Trevor, Franklin, and Lester: raiding the Union Depository's gold bullion reserve. However, Trevor discovers that Brad was not imprisoned as he was led to believe, but killed during the Ludendorff heist and buried in the grave marked for Michael. Deducing the heist was a setup and that he was supposed to be killed in Brad's place, Trevor feels betrayed and leaves Michael for dead during a shootout with Cheng's henchmen. Although Franklin rescues Michael, Trevor's anger towards the latter causes friction within the group and threatens to undermine their plans. Meanwhile, Steve attempts to arrest Michael, but they both, alongside Dave, become caught in a Mexican standoff between the FIB, the IAA, and Merryweather. Steve escapes while Michael and Dave are saved by Trevor, who believes only he has the right to kill Michael.
The Union Depository heist is successful, but Franklin is afterwards approached by Steve and Dave, who contend that Trevor is a liability, and Devin, still seeking vengeance on Michael. Franklin has three options: kill Trevor, kill Michael, or attempt to save both in a suicide mission. Should Franklin choose to kill either Michael or Trevor, his relationship with the man he spares ceases, and he returns to his old life. Otherwise, the trio, aided by Lamar and Lester, withstand an onslaught from the FIB and Merryweather before going on to kill Cheng, Stretch, Steve, and Devin. Michael and Trevor reconcile, and the three protagonists cease working together but remain friends.
Development