Grand Theft Auto V
Open-world action-adventure crime game and online multiplayer platform set in a satirical Los Angeles, developed by Rockstar and one of the best-selling and highest-grossing entertainment products in history.
What is Grand Theft Auto V?
Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games, released September 17, 2013 (PS3/Xbox 360), with subsequent releases on PS4/Xbox One (2014), PC (2015), and PS5/Xbox Series (2022). Set in the fictional state of San Andreas, based on Southern California, the single-player story follows three protagonists — Michael, Trevor, and Franklin — pulling off a series of heists across Los Santos (Los Angeles) and Blaine County. GTA Online, the multiplayer companion released October 2013, allows 30 players to explore, cooperate, and compete on the same map with player-owned businesses, races, and heists. GTA V is the second best-selling video game of all time (215+ million copies sold, behind only Minecraft) and the fastest entertainment product to generate $1 billion revenue (3 days). GTA Online continues to receive expansions a decade later, with GTA VI announced for late 2025.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Mixed
Players
1–30
Duration
~30 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
San Andreas map (Los Santos + Blaine County)
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
Released September 17, 2013 for PS3/Xbox 360; PS4/Xbox One 2014; PC 2015; PS5/Xbox Series 2022
Olympic
No
Popularity
global
How it works
Objective
Story mode: complete the crime narrative across 79 missions. GTA Online: build wealth (GTA$), reputation (RP), and complete heists, races, and businesses with friends or crews.
Match structure
Singleplayer: linear-ish campaign with 3 switchable protagonists, side missions, activities (golf, tennis, hunting, stock market), collectibles. GTA Online: persistent open world with jobs (contact missions, adversary modes, heists), player-owned businesses (Nightclub, Bunker, MC clubhouses), races, deathmatches, and daily objectives.
Rules
Basic rules
Free-roam open world
Explore the map freely at any time. Cars, motorcycles, boats, planes, helicopters all drivable.
Wanted level (1-5 stars)
Commit crimes to raise stars; each level increases police/military response.
Death and respawn
Die = respawn at nearest hospital with hospital bill deducted.
Heist crew (story mode)
Recruit gunmen, drivers, hackers for heist missions; crew cut affects payout.
GTA Online levels
RP builds character rank; unlocks weapons, cars, missions.
Money and property
Buy properties (garages, apartments, businesses) as long-term GTA$ sinks.
Advanced rules
Cayo Perico Heist
Solo-friendly heist making $1-2M per run; the classic solo-grind for new players.
Nightclub + businesses
Passive income from Nightclub + supporting businesses (Bunker, MC, Coke Factory).
Cluckin Bell Farm Raid
2024 major heist expansion.
Modes (Adversary, Races, Survival)
Playlists and matchmade competitive modes.
GTA$ Shark Cards
Optional microtransactions convert real money to in-game GTA$.
Modding (PC only, unofficial)
Rockstar bans mods on Online but tolerates on singleplayer/private servers (FiveM, GTAV RP).
Scoring
No score in story. Online: RP (rank), GTA$ (wealth), K/D ratios in PvP.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Story mission completion | Gold medal = perfect completion (time, accuracy, damage) |
| Online RP | Awards for jobs, races, heists — determines rank (1-8000) |
| Heist payout | $500k-$4M per heist depending on difficulty and stealth |
| PvP K/D | Kill/Death ratio in deathmatches |
Win condition · Story: complete the campaign. Online: no forced win — accumulate wealth, rank, prestige.
Playing area
Called
San Andreas map (Los Santos + Blaine County)
Dimensions
~127 km² virtual state; city, desert, mountain, coast biomes.
Fictional Los Santos (based on LA), Blaine County (rural), Grapeseed, Paleto Bay, Sandy Shores. Includes freeways, off-road terrain, airports, ocean coast, mountains.
Equipment
PC / PS5 / Xbox Series / PS4 / Xbox One
Available on 6 platforms since original 2013 release.
GTA V game (base + online)
Original + expansions bundled in modern releases.
Rockstar Social Club / PlayStation Plus / Xbox Live
Required for online play.
Shark Cards (GTA$)
Optional real-money currency conversion for GTA Online.
Officiating
Rockstar bans modders/cheaters in Online. Reports handled by Rockstar Support.
- Rockstar Games moderation
- In-game anti-cheat (BattlEye recently added on some platforms)
Strategies
Cayo Perico solo grind
Repeat Cayo Perico heist solo for ~$1-1.7M every ~2 hours = fastest new-player money.
Investment cycle
Buy Nightclub → Bunker → MC clubhouse → Kosatka submarine (needed for Cayo Perico).
Wanted level escape
Break line of sight, hide, use paint spray or Los Santos Customs to lose cops.
Heist prep parallelisation
Run prep missions in solo public sessions to avoid griefers.
Terminology
- GTA$ (in-game money)
- Currency for cars, weapons, properties.
- RP (Reputation Points)
- Character rank progression; unlocks features.
- Heist
- Multi-mission scripted operation with big payout.
- CEO / MC / Nightclub
- Business ownership tiers in GTA Online.
- Sharkcard
- Real-money bundle purchasable to convert to GTA$.
- Griefer
- Player who attacks new/AFK players for entertainment.
- Cayo Perico
- Solo-friendly island heist (2020 update).
- K/D
- Kill-to-Death ratio in PvP modes.
- FiveM
- Popular unofficial PC mod that runs roleplay servers.
- Passive mode
- Non-combat state in Online — can't attack or be attacked.
Major competitions
GTA Online official events (Diamond Casino Heist Week, Bonus RP)
weekly · worldwide
Community races and roleplay events
ongoing · worldwide
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Rockstar Games (developer, publisher)
Founded 1998 · New York, USA
Official site ↗Take-Two Interactive (parent company)
Founded 1993 · New York, USA
Official site ↗
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Xbox players and pros — GTA V esports scene is limited; most fame is in streaming
- DarkViperAU (Australia) — famous GTA V speedrunner (Any% <7 hours)
- N/A — GTA is casual and creative, not competitive
Records
Total GTA V sales
Rockstar Games — 215+ million copies (2024) (2024)
Fastest entertainment $1B revenue
GTA V — 3 days (launch week 2013) (2013)
GTA V speedrun Any% WR
DarkViperAU / others — Under 6 hours (2023)
GTA VI trailer views (24 hours)
Rockstar/YouTube — 93 million (Dec 2023) (2023)
GTA Online concurrent revenue
Take-Two disclosures — $8 billion+ lifetime GTA Online GTA$/Shark Card revenue (2023)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Finish tutorial
Story prologue + first missions before touching Online.
- 2
Explore map
Drive around Los Santos; discover Ammu-Nation, gyms, garages.
- 3
Buy first apartment (Online)
Buy a $200k apartment; unlocks heists via Lester's phone.
- 4
Complete Contact Missions
Lester/Gerald jobs give $10-30k each — good starter money.
intermediate
- 1
Buy Kosatka + do Cayo Perico
Fastest solo money grind. Prep + heist in under 2 hours = $1M+.
- 2
Bunker + MC businesses
Passive income streams — buy supplies, sell product.
- 3
Group up on Discord
Multiplayer heists pay 30%+ more with a good team.
advanced
- 1
Doomsday Heist (challenge)
3-act mega heist with unique acts and equipment.
- 2
Roleplay servers
Join Nopixel or public FiveM RP servers for structured character play.
- 3
Speedrunning
Any% and All Missions categories with active speedrun.com leaderboards.
Frequently asked
How much has GTA V sold?+
Over 215 million copies as of 2024 — the second-best-selling video game of all time (behind Minecraft), and highest-grossing single entertainment product in history at $8+ billion revenue.
Is GTA V still worth playing in 2026?+
Yes — the singleplayer story remains one of the best in gaming; GTA Online continues to receive expansions. Rockstar released the PS5/Xbox Series X 'Enhanced' edition in March 2022 and continues Online updates. GTA VI is due late 2025.
Can I play GTA V solo?+
Yes — the singleplayer story is 30-40 hours. GTA Online can also be played in Invite Only sessions to avoid griefers.
What is Cayo Perico?+
A 2020 GTA Online expansion adding a Caribbean island with a solo-friendly heist. Repeated Cayo Perico runs are the most efficient way for new players to earn GTA$.
When is GTA VI coming out?+
Rockstar released the first GTA VI trailer in December 2023, targeting late 2025 launch. Set in Vice City with dual protagonists Lucia and Jason.
What is FiveM?+
An unofficial multiplayer modification for the PC version of GTA V that lets players join custom servers — most famously for immersive roleplay (Nopixel, GTA World).
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — GTA V— Wikipedia
- Rockstar Games — GTA V— Rockstar Games
- GTA Wiki (Fandom)— Fandom