Grand Theft Auto V Main Theme (Oh No - "Welcome to Los Santos") 
Grand Theft Auto V (also known as Grand Theft Auto Five, GTA 5, GTA V[2], and Grand Theft Auto V: Story Mode[3]) is a video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the fifteenth instalment in the Grand Theft Auto series and the fifth game title in the HD Universe of the series.
The original edition was released on September 17, 2013, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 "enhanced" versions were released on November 18, 2014, and was later released on April 14, 2015, for the PC. A further "expanded and enhanced" version for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S released on March 15, 2022.[4] Optionally, players are also able to purchase access to Grand Theft Auto V as an add-on for the standalone versions of Grand Theft Auto Online.
As one of the most eagerly-awaited video game titles to be released in 2013, the game was widely anticipated prior to its release. Grand Theft Auto V was released to universal acclaim, holding scores of 96 and above on MetaCritic and GameRankings, as well as receiving perfect scores from over 30 reviewers. The game sold 11,210,000 copies and grossed $800,000,000 on its first day of release, setting many records, eventually making $1,000,000,000 within 3 days of the game's release.
As of February 2025, Grand Theft Auto V is the second best selling game of all time, with over 210 million copies sold.
Versions
- For further details on each version of Grand Theft Auto V, see #Editions
The original edition was officially announced on October 25, 2011; the game's first trailer[5] was released on November 2, 2011. The game was initially slated for a Spring 2013 release and there were even posters printed saying this but was actually released in the northern hemisphere Fall the same year. On July 15, 2013, Rockstar announced the Japanese release date for the game would be October 10, 2013, which ended up being almost a month after it was released in the Western world.[6] The "Enhanced" edition for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Personal Computer was announced on June 9, 2014, with pre-orders made available on June 10, 2014. An "expanded and enhanced" version for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S was initially announced for "late 2021" on June 11, 2020 and a firm release date of March 15, 2022 was announced on May 19, 2021.
Setting
The game takes place in the year 2013 in the southern part of the state of San Andreas, more precisely in the city of Los Santos and rural areas of Blaine County, and tells the stories of three protagonists: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and Trevor Philips — three uniquely-different criminals as they commit daring and profitable heists across the sprawling city of Los Santos.
It takes place about five years after the events of Grand Theft Auto IV, and eight years before the events of The Contract update of Grand Theft Auto Online.
Plot
Nine years after a failed robbery in the fictional town of Ludendorff, North Yankton, former bank robber Michael Townley and his family have relocated to Los Santos under a new identity. Michael is living a normal but boring life, until he encounters Franklin Clinton, a gangster who seeks to elevate himself in the Los Santos underworld, and unexpectedly encounters Trevor Philips, the only other survivor of the bank robbery in Ludendorff. The three join forces to carry out a daring task to rob the Union Depository and seize tens of millions of dollars worth of gold. However, the trio find themselves being taken advantage of by corrupt Feds, using the three to carry out their own agenda, as well as numerous confrontations with rival gangs and other criminals.
Multiplayer
Grand Theft Auto Online
Grand Theft Auto Online is a standalone multiplayer game title, considered a separate game by Rockstar, that is included for free with the retail copy of Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. In Grand Theft Auto Online, the player will have the freedom to explore alone or with friends, work cooperatively (PvE) to complete missions, band together to participate in activities and ambient events, or compete (PvP) in traditional game modes and in Free Mode with the entire community. Initially, the online game shared the same San Andreas map as Grand Theft Auto V. This was later expanded to include the island of Cayo Perico. The game shares some achievements and mechanics originally from GTA V.
In GTA Online, multiplayer crews from Max Payne 3 can be carried over to GTA Online. GTA Online has multiplayer features linked to Rockstar's Social Club. Sessions could accommodate up to sixteen people on the former PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version, and thirty players on the current PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC versions.
A completely standalone version of GTA Online was released on March 15, 2022, and made exclusively free on PlayStation 5 for the first three months. Optionally, access to Grand Theft Auto V must be purchased separately as an add-on to the game.
Title Updates
To see a list of GTA V's patch notes history, see Grand Theft Auto V/Title Update Notes
Downloadable Content
DLC have been released regularly since the launch of Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, adding new vehicles, weapons and other content. They are however more advanced in GTA Online with the availability of jobs and properties along with additional character customization options like tattoos, clothing, masks, hairstyles etc.
Additional content is unlocked if the player buys the Collector's Edition of GTA V. It features a classic hot rod, a sports bike, an electric sports car, a shotgun and a hammer. This is available when the Collector's Edition is installed.
All subsequent content updates focus on GTA Online, and no content has been implemented in GTA V in updates that followed the Ill-Gotten Gains Part 2 update.
Synopsis
Setting
Aerial shot of a Shamal flying high over Southern San Andreas.
Pillbox Hill, Downtown Los Santos. Many real-life Los Angeles buildings are accurately replicated throughout Los Santos and Blaine County.
On November 3rd, 2011, Rockstar Games confirmed that the game would take place in Los Santos and the surrounding countryside - and will not feature a recreated rendition of an entire State of San Andreas - in a statement on their Newswire:
Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V heads to the City of Los Santos and the surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created.
A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present-day Southern California.”
During the Game Informer Grand Theft Auto V cover story, the vice president of creativity for Rockstar Games, Dan Houser, has stated that Los Santos this time around is different and a lot more developed (having cities, wilderness, deserts, farmlands, towns, a Mount Chiliad, a military base and a fully detailed ocean floor (including coral beds). The state of San Andreas is also about five times larger than Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Red Dead Redemption. After some calculations by members of GawdAlmighty.com, that would equal to around 27.5 square miles/71.2 km2 when land and sea are put together.[7]
Characters and Premise
A screenshot featuring the game's playable characters.
From left to right: Franklin, Trevor and Michael.
Grand Theft Auto V features three playable protagonists: Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton.
Michael is a retired professional bank robber, who after making a sweet deal with the FIB, is forced out of retirement back into the life of crime.
Trevor is the loose cannon in this story and is also the long time best friend of Michael and a hothead psychopath as well.
Lastly Franklin, a younger gangbanger and repossession agent who has a large amount of experience behind the wheel, who meets Michael when undertaking a repossession.
Other main characters include Amanda, Michael's wife; Jimmy and Tracey, Michael's two grown-up children; Lamar, Franklin's closest friend; Ron, Trevor's paranoid friend; and Lester, a long-time associate of Michael and Trevor.
Timeframe
Although it is not specifically stated when exactly in 2013 the game takes place, the following evidence suggests August - October 2013:
- There's an advertisement on the side of a strip mall in Davis stating that it's having a "Summer Sale on flat-screen TVs".
- The calendar in Trevor's trailer is open on the month of August.
- When Michael meets Lester to come out of retirement, the calendar in Lester's House shows September.
- After Franklin moves into 3671 Whispymound Drive, a bank statement is opened on his entry sideboard. Close inspection in the enhanced version reveals it is his September statement for transactions in August.
- During the mission "Cleaning out the Bureau", a calendar briefly seen in Harvey Molina's apartment is also open on the month of September.
- Towards the end/completion of the storyline, one of the barbers in Sandy Shores might comment on how it is "October already".
- Some houses have pumpkins on their front porches. Pumpkins are rarely seen at any time of the year other than autumn.
- In the enhanced edition of the game, the text message that the creators of Space Monkey 3D send the player after completing Monkey Mosaics state that the film would be coming out in the holiday season, this again suggests that the story would take place in late-summer to fall.
Media
Unique Features
- The map is now one entire landmass, rather than several islands. Also, the entire map is unlocked from the beginning of the game, unlike previous games where sections of the map were unlocked as the player gradually progressed through the game, reasons in those games given for this was "terrorist threat", "hurricane", or "earthquake".
- Players can ragdoll by pressing X/Square/SPACE (Xbox/PlayStation/PC) then B/Circle/R (Xbox/PlayStation/PC).
- Players can play as animals (enhanced version), unlike in any other Grand Theft Auto game.
Editions
Original Edition
| Features | Standard Edition | Special Edition | Collector's Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game disc | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Printed Map (Los Santos and Blaine County) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Access to Atomic Blimp | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steelbook with exclusive artwork | No | Yes | Yes |
| Slipcover for Steelbook | No | Yes | Yes |
| Blueprint Map (Los Santos and Blaine County) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Special Ability Boost | No | Yes | Yes |
| Stunt Plane Trials | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bonus Outfits, Tattoos, etc. | No | Yes | Yes |
| Additional Weapons | No | Yes | Yes |
| Security Deposit Bag | No | No | Yes |
| Grand Theft Auto V key | No | No | Yes |
| New Era Cap | No | No | Yes |
| Custom Grand Theft Auto Online Characters | No | No | Yes |
| Unique Vehicles and Garage Property | No | No | Yes |
Enhanced and PC Versions
Prior to the announcement of the eighth generation consoles and PC versions, there was wide speculation and anticipation regarding an official announcement from Rockstar. On change.org, there was a petition with 728,000+ signatures asking for a PC version at the time of the announcement. Within the comments section of the Rockstar Newswire, and many other GTA related blogs, there were many comments asking for a PC/Next Gen release. After its reveal at E3 2014, the news spread like wildfire and became one of the most talked-about announcements.
The enhanced version of Grand Theft Auto V was released on November 18, 2014, for the PS4 and Xbox One and was released for PC on April 14, 2015. With the release, there are many improvements and changes compared to the versions released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. No major graphical changes from PS4 and Xbox One are seen in the PC version, other than further Draw Distance and 4K capable quality. The PC version also features 2 exclusive radio stations: The Lab (now available for all consoles from the Ill-Gotten Gains Part 2 update) and Self Radio.
The biggest new feature was a first-person view, which is not only available in vehicles but is also for the first time available on foot. Several other features were added. These include (see edition comparison table for more information):
| Features | New |
|---|---|
| Vehicles | Increased reflections on vehicle bodywork, especially in high-key lighting. |
| New detailed interiors with working speedometers and steering wheels. | |
| New customization options, including underglow. | |
| Most DLC vehicles from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions appear in regular traffic. | |
| Modded vehicles can spawn in traffic. | |
New vehicles – some of which will be exclusive to players who played the original edition of the game – including:
| |
| Special/Collector's Edition vehicles are now available to all players, including: | |
| Weapons | |
| Two new weapons exclusive to players who played the original edition: | |
| Wildlife | New dog breeds, such as:
|
| New animals, including: | |
| Weather | New weather effects. |
| Graphics | Better lighting. |
| Improved skybox. | |
| Updated Radar with a three-dimensional appearance and new colour scheme. | |
| Pause Menu Map is now grayscale and in higher resolution. | |
| Longer draw distance. | |
| Higher resolution textures. | |
| 1080p on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, multi-monitors and 4K support for the PC version (hardware dependent). | |
| Gameplay features & other | First person view and First person hood camera (vehicles only) (Found on the PC version, and introduced onto the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions in the Ill-Gotten Gains Part 1 Update). |
| New actions that can be performed while taking a selfie using the Snapmatic. | |
| New walking animations available to the protagonist in Grand Theft Auto Online. | |
| New collectables in the form of Peyote Plants. | |
New side missions exclusive to players who played the original edition:
| |
| All previous non time-limited DLC. | |
| Improved framerate of 60 FPS (depending on the hardware used, PC only). | |
| New foliage and environmental details. | |
| Increased traffic and pedestrian density. | |
| New interiors. | |
| Increased Pedestrian-Player and Pedestrian-Pedestrian interaction. | |
| Rockstar Editor (found on the PC version, and introduced onto the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions in the Freemode Events Update). | |
| Over 100 new songs for in-game radio stations | |
| One new radio station for PC version: Self Radio and originally also The Lab (Before being added to all consoles in the Ill-Gotten Gains Part 2). | |
| New sound effects, including cars, car horns, sirens etc. | |
| New damage effects. | |
| New Cinematic Camera Views. | |
| New 3D mobile phone models (first person view). | |
|
Several new loading screen artworks. | |
| Continued additional content support (or DLC) after Ill-Gotten Gains Part 2. |
Hobbies and Pastimes
These are all the hobbies and pastimes listed on the Rockstar Social Club page; note that they are not all mandatory to achieve 100% completion in the game.
- Stunt Plane Time Trials (Only in the Special/Collector's Edition and Enhanced Version)
- Shooting Range
- Street Races
- Tennis
- Golf
- Darts
- Strip Club
- Triathlon
- Offroad Races
- Bail Bond
- Arms Trafficking Air
- Arms Trafficking Ground
- Hunting
- Flight School
- Sea Races
- Yoga
- Parachute Jumps
Galleries
Screenshots
- See more, Grand Theft Auto V/Screenshots
Artworks
- See more, Grand Theft Auto V/Artworks
Trailers
Soundtracks
Development
Grand Theft Auto V was developed by Rockstar North in collaboration with most other Rockstar studios around the world.
Rockstar North began to develop Grand Theft Auto V in 2008, around Grand Theft Auto IV's release.[8] Development was conducted by a team of more than 1,000 people from studios around the world. The proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) was overhauled for the game to improve its draw distance rendering capabilities. The Euphoria and Bullet software handle additional animation and rendering tasks.[9] Having become familiar with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 hardware over time, Rockstar found they were able to push the consoles' graphical capabilities further than in previous games.[10] Analyst estimations place the game's combined development and marketing budget at more than £170 million (US$265 million), which would make it the most expensive game ever made at that time.[11]
The open world was modelled on Southern California and Los Angeles, and its design and in-game render constituted much of the game's early work.[12] Key members of the game world production team took field research trips throughout the region and documented their research with photo and video footage.[10] Google Maps projections of Los Angeles were used by the team to help design Los Santos' road networks.[13] To reflect and reproduce Los Angeles' demographic spread, the developers studied census data and watched documentaries about the city. The team considered creating the open world the most technically demanding aspect of the game's production.[14]
A fundamental design goal from the outset was to innovate on the series core structure by giving players control of three lead protagonists instead of one.[12] The idea was first raised during Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' development, but contemporaneous hardware restrictions made it infeasible.[8] Having developed two Grand Theft Auto IV episodic expansion packs featuring new protagonists in 2009, the team wanted to base Grand Theft Auto V around three simultaneously controlled protagonists. The team viewed it as a spiritual successor to many of their previous games (such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3), and designed it to improve upon their gameplay mechanics.[15] They sought to improve the action gameplay by refining the shooting mechanics and cover system[16] and reworked the driving mechanics to correct Grand Theft Auto IV's awkward vehicle controls.
After an audition process, Ned Luke, Shawn Fonteno and Steven Ogg were selected to portray Michael, Franklin and Trevor, respectively.[17] Their performances were mostly recorded using motion capture technology,[18] but dialogue for scenes with characters seated in vehicles was recorded in studios instead.[19] The game features an original score composed by a team of producers collaborating over several years.[20] Licensed music provided by an in-game radio is also used.[21] The team licensed more than 241 tracks shared between fifteen radio stations, with an additional two stations providing talk radio. Some of the tracks were written specifically for the game, such as rapper and producer Flying Lotus' original work composed for the FlyLo FM radio station he hosts.[22]
Gameplay
The Weapon Wheel, an entirely new mechanism appearing in GTA V, serving as a quicker alternative to cycle through weapons.
Grand Theft Auto V evolves nearly every mechanic that was in the previous Grand Theft Auto games. As far as driving goes, the vehicles have been greatly improved, with Rockstar running more complex physics on them, such as making some cars hold to the ground slightly better. The driving mechanics feel more like a racing game, particularly the Midnight Club series, compared to Grand Theft Auto IV's rocky, boat-like handling system. The shooting mechanics are better in terms of the feel of the mechanics and larger compared to the melee mechanics in the game, that being said, melee has been improved over the previous titles as well. Weapon selection has now also been changed. Instead of the old way of selecting through all the weapons sequentially, there is now a Weapon Wheel, which is similar to the one featured in Red Dead Redemption, another game made by Rockstar Games. Grand Theft Auto V draws inspirations from many different Rockstar titles in the past, including Max Payne 3, Midnight Club, Manhunt, and Red Dead Redemption.
Switch Scene cutscene. Each of the three protagonists are living their own lives while the player acts the part of another.
There are many unique features in the game; one being that when the players are playing as one of three protagonists in the game, the other two are living their independent daily lives, and the player may be surprised by what they find the characters doing when they switch back into them. Another unique feature is that the character swapping feature is executed in a Google Earth-styled manner and was displayed during a Game Informer demo, which was shown to have run smoothly and without lag. The PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions present an exclusive feature, the first-person mode, where the whole game can be played through the eyes of the protagonist. This gameplay mode presents a whole new way to play the game. Cars have detailed interiors different from one another; shooting is like that of a dedicated FPS game.
Yoga, a new activity appearing in GTA V.
New activities have been added, such as yoga, triathlons, jet skiing, parachuting, tennis, golf, and scuba diving. Random events have also been added to the game and can appear anytime as the player explores around the map. The mobile phone has returned from Grand Theft Auto IV and is used for calling the player's contacts, surfing the web, and quick saving. Giving people the middle finger is another new feature the player can use while in a vehicle. Rockstar recommended that the player do this in various locations around Los Santos to see the outcome; depending on where the player is at, they will get varied reactions from pedestrians.
Rockstar has also made changes to the pedestrian mechanics; some pedestrians can be seen at the bus stops in East Los Santos, and the same people can reappear in Rockford Hills working in the gardens of the opulent mansions. Some minor mechanics that help convey the environment and appearance of Los Santos occur at certain times of day, such as a sprinkler system being turned on in the morning in wealthy areas like Morningwood.
Vehicles
Grand Theft Auto V has the widest range of super cars to date, as well as the greatest number of vehicles, in the entire GTA series. The Cheetah is one of the few vehicles to appear in the majority of GTA games.
Grand Theft Auto V has more vehicles than in any other Grand Theft Auto game to date, with a variety of vehicles, including aeroplanes, helicopters, cars, utility vehicles, emergency service vehicles, motorcycles, and jet skis. Players are able to fly planes, which was a cut feature from Grand Theft Auto IV because of the limited size of the map, but the feature is now available in Grand Theft Auto V because of the much larger, open world map. There are also submarines that players are able to use to explore the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The Rhino from previous GTA titles has returned, including a new complex aiming system and a realistic depiction of a tank. A new feature also allows the player to roll-over a vehicle when the car is flipped upside down.
An NPC Boxville pulling out of an alleyway.
Like all previous games, a wide array of vehicles spawn driving around the map that can be stolen. To give the game a sense of realism and make the map feel more alive, various vehicles (as well as pedestrians) spawn in scenarios to make them more interactive with the map, such as delivery vans pulling out of alleyways, emergency vehicles responding, or vehicles pulling in and out of driveways. This behaviour was present in GTA IV to a lesser extent and is revamped in GTA V, even more so with the enhanced release of the game, where modified vehicles can spawn driving around, as well as the presence of the fully-controllable Jet, among other planes flying high above San Andreas.
Businesses
Businesses from Grand Theft Auto IV re-appear. New businesses also appear, such as the Bugstars pest control company, who specialise in fumigation and the fast-food restaurant, Up-n-Atom Burger. The option to eat takeaway food from outlets such as Burger Shot is no longer available. Instead, the player can only buy drinks from the various Vending Machines across the map.
Weapons
The weapon wall at Ammu-Nation, home to 66 individual weapons.
The game features a large variety of weapons, including assault rifles, machine guns, handguns, shotguns, sniper rifles and rocket launchers. There is now the option to mount attachments onto various different guns, each one affecting the performance. Melee weapons like the nightstick and the golf club that weren't present in Grand Theft Auto IV have also been introduced to Grand Theft Auto V.
Character Customization
Clothing can be changed at a range of different clothes stores.
In the game, the player has the option to customize the three protagonists' wardrobe and appearance. There is less customisation available compared to that of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (e.g. changing the body mass of the 3 characters isn't available as it was with Carl Johnson in San Andreas). The availability of tattoo parlours, barber shops and the ability to apply and remove facial hair has returned from GTA San Andreas after being missing from previous titles in the HD Universe.
Reception
Upon release, Grand Theft Auto V received overwhelmingly universal acclaim and commercial blockbuster worldwide. Critics enjoyed the multiple lead character formula, heist mission design and presentation, while some critics weren't fond of the story and characters.
Metacritic awarded the game with 97/100, making it the second highest rated Grand Theft Auto game in the series and the 11th highest rated game of all time.
Play awarded the game with a 97/100, they considered it as a "generation-defining" and "exceptional" Grand Theft Auto game in the series.
Famitsu awarded the game with 40/40, making it the second western-developed game to received a perfect score from Japan.
IGN awarded the game with a perfect 10/10, Keza MacDonald of IGN called Grand Theft Auto V in his review as "one of the very best video games ever made".
Edge awarded the game with a prefect 10/10, they wrote in their review that GTA V is a "remarkable achievement" in open-world design and storytelling.
GameInformer awarded the game with a near perfect 9.75/10, Matt Bertz really enjoyed the combat in GTA V, noteing that players are kept "in the thick of the action" during shootouts.
Eurogamer awarded the game with 9/10, Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer wasn't keen on the protagonists (more particularly Trevor) as he found him as "shallow and unconvincing", and felt that his eccentricities hurt the narrative and overshadowed Michael and Franklin's character development.
GameSpot awarded the game with 9/10, former GameSpot employee Jeff Gerstmann considered the heist missions a welcome deviation from series typical mission structure and Carolyn Petit of GameSpot cited the 1995 film Heat as a stylistic influence on the heists mission design.
GamesRadar+ awarded the game with a perfect 5 stars out of 5, Hollander Cooper of GamesRadar+ said in his review that the story and the characters was the weakest part of the game, as he thought the game negated inconsistencies in the story of previous entries, whose single lead protagonists had muddled morality.
Joystiq awarded the game with a near perfect 4.5 stars out of 5.
The Escapist were the least fond towards GTA V, awarding the game with a 3.5 stars out of 5, Greg Tito had difficulty connecting with the characters' emotions since they acted out of greed with no sense of morality and thus gave players little reason to support them.
In 2014, WatchMojo placed GTA V at the #2 spot in their "Top 10 Grand Theft Auto Games" list countdown, and at the #3 spot in their "Every Grand Theft Auto Game Ranked" video over on their sister channel MojoPlays in 2021.
Sales
Grand Theft Auto V has sold over 205 million copies as of 2024, making it the best selling Grand Theft Auto game in the series and the second best selling video game of all time.
Accolades
| Date | Award | Category | Recipient(s) and Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 December 2011 | 2012 Spike Video Game Awards | Most Anticipated Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 25 October 2013 | 31st Golden Joystick Awards | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 2 December 2013 | 18th Satellite Awards | Outstanding Action / Adventure Video Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 3 December 2013 | Good Game Awards 2013 | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 3 December 2013 | Good Game Awards 2013 | Most Memorable Moment | Looking out over Los Santos as Trevor. | Nominated |
| 3 December 2013 | Time's 25 Best Video Games of 2013 | Best Video Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 4 December 2013 | 5th Annual Inside Gaming Awards | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 4 December 2013 | 5th Annual Inside Gaming Awards | Most Immersive | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 4 December 2013 | 5th Annual Inside Gaming Awards | Best Voice Acting | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 4 December 2013 | 5th Annual Inside Gaming Awards | Best Trailer | Franklin's Trailer | Nominated |
| 4 December 2013 | 5th Annual Inside Gaming Awards | Gamers' Choice | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 7 December 2013 | Cheat Code Central's 7th Annual Cody Awards | Studio of the Year | Rockstar North | Runner-Up |
| 7 December 2013 | Cheat Code Central's 7th Annual Cody Awards | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 7 December 2013 | Cheat Code Central's 7th Annual Cody Awards | Best Sound | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 7 December 2013 | Cheat Code Central's 7th Annual Cody Awards | Best Male Character | Trevor Philips | Nominated |
| 7 December 2013 | Cheat Code Central's 7th Annual Cody Awards | Best Xbox Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 7 December 2013 | Cheat Code Central's 7th Annual Cody Awards | Best Action/Adventure Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 9 December 2013 | Slant Magazine's 25 Best Video Games of 2013 | Best Video Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 13 December 2013 | GameSpot's Game of the Year 2013 Awards | PS3 Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 15 December 2013 | GameSpot's Game of the Year 2013 Awards | Xbox 360 Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 19 December 2013 | GameSpot's Game of the Year 2013 Awards | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 17 December 2013 | Canada.com's Top video games of 2013 | Best Xbox Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 17 December 2013 | Game Revolution's Best of 2013 Awards | Best Developer | Rockstar North | Nominated |
| 17 December 2013 | Game Revolution's Best of 2013 Awards | Biggest Disappointment | Grand Theft Auto Online | Nominated |
| 20 December 2013 | Game Revolution's Best of 2013 Awards | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 18 December 2013 | cnet's 15 best video games of 2013 | Best Video Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 19 December 2013 | The New Zealand Herlad's 2013 in review | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Second |
| 20 December 2013 | Digital Spy's best games of 2013 | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Fifth |
| 20 December 2013 | Entertainment Weekly | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Third |
| 20 December 2013 | The Guardian's Top 25 video games of 2013 | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Fourth |
| 20 December 2013 | Wired | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Eighth |
| 21 December 2013 | Hardcore Gamer's Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Best Original Soundtrack | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 21 December 2013 | Hardcore Gamer's Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Best New Character | Trevor Philips | Nominated |
| 21 December 2013 | Hardcore Gamer's Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Best Writing | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 21 December 2013 | Hardcore Gamer's Game of the Year Awards 2013 | The Sequel of Sequels | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 21 December 2013 | Hardcore Gamer's Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Most Disappointing | Grand Theft Auto Online | Nominated |
| 21 December 2013 | Hardcore Gamer's Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Runner-Up |
| 21 December 2013 | Hardcore Gamer's Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Best Developer | Rockstar North | Nominated |
| 21 December 2016 | IGN Australia's Top 12 Games of 2013 | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Second |
| 24 December 2016 | Destructoid's Best of 2013 | Best Multiplatform Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 24 December 2016 | Destructoid's Best of 2013 | Community Choice | Grand Theft Auto V | Runner-Up |
| 24 December 2016 | Destructoid's Best of 2013 | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 24 December 2016 | Destructoid's Best of 2013 | Best Story | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 24 December 2013 | Destructoid's Best of 2013 | Best Action Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 24 December 2013 | Destructoid's Best of 2013 | Best Character | Trevor Philips | Nominated |
| 24 December 2013 | Destructoid's Best of 2013 | Best Soundtrack | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 24 December 2013 | Giant Bomb's 2013 Game of the Year Awards | Best New Character | Lamar Davis | Won |
| 24 December 2013 | Giant Bomb's 2013 Game of the Year Awards | Best Music | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 26 December 2013 | Ars Technica | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Fourth |
| 26 December 2013 | Edge Awards 2013 | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 28 December 2013 | Edge Awards 2013 | Best Audio Design | Grand Theft Auto V | Runner-Up |
| 30 December 2013 | Edge Awards 2013 | Studio of the Year | Rockstar North | Won |
| 29 December 2013 | EGM's Best of 2013 | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Second |
| 31 December 2013 | Telegraph Video Game Awards 2013 | Best Art Direction | Aaron Garbut | Won |
| 31 December 2013 | Telegraph Video Game Awards 2013 | Best Technical Achievement | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 31 December 2013 | Telegraph Video Game Awards 2013 | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 31 December 2013 | Telegraph Video Game Awards 2013 | Best Director | Leslie Benzies | Nominated |
| 31 December 2013 | Telegraph Video Game Awards 2013 | Best Script | Dan Houser | Nominated |
| 31 December 2013 | Telegraph Video Game Awards 2013 | Best Performer | Steven Ogg as Trevor Philips | Nominated |
| 31 December 2013 | Telegraph Video Game Awards 2013 | Best Original Score | Woody Jackson, Tangerine Dream, Oh No, The Alchemist | Nominated |
| 31 December 2013 | Telegraph Video Game Awards 2013 | Best Developer | Rockstar North | Nominated |
| 1 January 2014 | The Escapist Awards 2013 | Best Action-Adventure Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 3 January 2014 | GameTrailers' Game of the Year Awards | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 7 January 2014 | GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Best Multiplayer | Grand Theft Auto Online | Won |
| 7 January 2014 | GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Best Multiplatform | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 7 January 2014 | GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 7 January 2014 | GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Best Soundtrack | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 7 January 2014 | GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Best Third Person Shooter | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 9 January 2014 | 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards | Best Technology | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 9 January 2014 | 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 9 January 2014 | 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards | Best Audio | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 9 January 2014 | 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards | Best Design | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best Xbox 360 Action Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best Xbox 360 Multiplayer Game | Grand Theft Auto Online | Won |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best Xbox 360 Graphics | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best Xbox 360 Sound | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best Xbox 360 Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best PS3 Action Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 10 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best Overall Action Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best Xbox 360 Story | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best PS3 Multiplayer Game | Grand Theft Auto Online | Nominated |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best PS3 Sound | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best PS3 Story | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 9 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best PS3 Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 10 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 10 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best Overall Multiplayer Game | Grand Theft Auto Online | Nominated |
| 10 January 2014 | IGN's Best of 2013 | Best Overall Graphics - Technology | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 14 January 2014 | Polygon's Games of the Year 2013 | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Seventh |
| 21 January 2014 | GamesRadar's Game of the Year 2013 | Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Fourth |
| 13 March 2014 | 10th British Academy Video Games Awards | Action & Adventure | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 13 March 2014 | 10th British Academy Video Games Awards | Audio Achievement | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 13 March 2014 | 10th British Academy Video Games Awards | Best Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 13 March 2014 | 10th British Academy Video Games Awards | British Game | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 13 March 2014 | 10th British Academy Video Games Awards | Game Design | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 13 March 2014 | 10th British Academy Video Games Awards | Game Innovation | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 13 March 2014 | 10th British Academy Video Games Awards | Multiplayer | Grand Theft Auto Online | Won |
| 13 March 2014 | 10th British Academy Video Games Awards | Performer | Steven Ogg as Trevor Philips | Nominated |
| 13 March 2014 | 10th British Academy Video Games Awards | Story | Grand Theft Auto V | Nominated |
| 5 December 2014 | The Game Awards 2014 | Best Remaster | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
| 10 December 2014 | GameSpot's Game of the Year 2014 Awards | Best Reissue of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | Won |
Controversy and Criticism
Like all previous Grand Theft Auto games, Grand Theft Auto V has courted controversy, though has been viewed by some as significantly more controversial than its predecessors.
Controversy (missions)
A mission which requires the player to torture a target for the government has proven significantly controversial. The mission contains water-boarding, using a wrench on kneecaps and genitals, electrocution, and even an action where the player can perform tooth extraction using pliers.
Criticism
Both Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online received criticism. One part was missions, as only three made the player profit, and only one of them topped $1,000,000. Missions were longer, more taxing and low to non-paying. Only seven non-heist missions gave a payout; Franklin and Lamar gave the player $250, Nervous Ron gave the player $62,000 and Lester's Assassinations gave the player varying amounts of between $3,000 and $10,000. The PC version of GTA V was also criticized for the lack of an adequate anti-cheat with modders becoming prevalent in Grand Theft Auto Online and being dealt with very little, in addition to Rockstar Games' lack of efficiency in dealing with an ongoing modder problem and banning legitimate, non-cheating players instead.[ref?]
The ongoing success and continued development of Grand Theft Auto Online, which resulted in the game being the first to span three generations of game consoles without a subsequent GTA title being released, has been a common complaint for those anticipating announcement of a possible "Grand Theft Auto VI", until the announcement of the game on February 4th 2022.
Copyrighting and Lawsuits
After the game was released, actress Lindsay Lohan claimed that Rockstar had used her likeness without permission for in-game celebrity Lacey Jonas, which Rockstar denied.[23] On 1 September 2016, Lohan's lawsuit was dismissed.[24]
In October 2013 Daz Dillinger claimed Rockstar used two songs from Death Row Records without permission, the songs in question being "C-Walk" by Kurupt and "Nothin' But the Cavi Hit" by Tha Dogg Pound and Mack 10. However, Dillinger was not signed to Death Row at the time and had an ongoing feud with Kurupt. The lawsuit was eventually dropped and the songs stayed in the game.[ref?]
September 2022 Leaks
On September 17, 2022[25] a user known as 'teapotuberhacker' has illegally obtained access to Rockstar's Slack channel[26] and their internal Perforce Helix Core server[27], and stole, respectively, developer footage of Grand Theft Auto VI and an unknown amount of development assets, documents, and the source code of Grand Theft Auto V; the former of which have been published by the hacker on September 18, 2022. Although the hacker has published snippets of the Grand Theft Auto V source code on GTAForums, no files have been publicly leaked at that time.
November 2022 leak
On November 15, 2022, a user on GitHub known as 'gta-source'[28] published a repository of 53 files from the source code leak, primarily related to the documentation of the game's native script commands. The repository has been taken down a day later following a DMCA notice by Take-Two Interactive.[29]
November 2023 leak
On November 19, 2023, an executable alongside its corresponding .pdb (program database) file was leaked in a Discord server.[vague] This file originated from the files stolen in September 2022[30] and has later been removed from the server after the files have began to be publicly reposted.
December 2023 leaks
On December 24, 2023, over 16GB of internal source code was leaked online.[vague] The archive contained leaked source code for the game itself as well as RAGE, source script files, and hundreds of studio tools. The leak was considered to be one of the most substantial gaming leaks, alongside GTA VI's September 2022 leaked footage.[31]
The next day, an archive containing 14GB of various art assets, documents, and developer tutorial videos was leaked.[vague] Like the source code leak, this has also been a part of the September 2022 breach.[25]
As with the GTA VI leaks, Take-Two Interactive issued a takedown notice on any redistribution of the source code, including hyperlinks to third-party websites redistributing the leak and guides to compile a working copy of the game.[32] Rockstar Games did not acknowledge the leaks.
October 2024 leak
An early prototype of Xbox 360 downloadable content (DLC) packs was accidently left unsecured on Xbox Live Arcade's PartnerNET, an internal Microsoft platform that allowed developers to access and test upcoming downloadable content and titles. This incident occurred on July 13, 2013, just prior to the release of Grand Theft Auto V.[33] Although initially ruled as fake, the files reemerged on October 21st, 2024.[vague] The leak primarily featured unused weapons, along with an initial version of the Atomic Blimp.[34] Each weapon was packaged separately, and with the exception of the Atomic Blimp DLC[35] and Assault Sniper DLC[36], they employed an older coding structure akin to that of Grand Theft Auto IV, necessitating manual adjustments for functionality. The other prototype DLC packs included:
- DLC Weapon 1 (Heavy Rifle)[37]
- DLC Weapon 2 (Programmable AR)[38]
- DLC Weapon 3 (Assault MG)[39]
- DLC Weapon 5 (The Ballad of Gay Tony's rendition of the Assault SMG)[40]
- DLC Weapon 6 (Rubber Gun)[41]
- DLC Weapon 7 (An early version of Bullpup Shotgun)[42]
The idea was later turned into Special/Collector's Edition bonus.
100% Completion
Trivia
- For the first time, convertible cars can retract and deploy their soft top/hard top covers. In previous games, convertibles were stuck with the roof they had or didn't have (with the exception of being able to install a permanent cover on lowriders in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas).
- Grand Theft Auto V is the first game in the franchise to feature in-game incidental music (not counting cutscenes, credits and pause menus, as several earlier games had incidental music for these aforementioned sequences).
- The registration plates have orange stickers on the top right. The same plates are used for 2013 California registration plates. The same was also used in California in 2008.
- If a player finds another one of the protagonists, or more likely tries to set them up in the same location, and begins to follow them, the AI controlled protagonists will ask if the player is following them. Should they continue for too long, the AI protagonist will consider they're being stalked and will knock out the player, wasting them.
- This is the first game in the series where the wanted level is 5 stars instead of the usual 6, although the player is still chased by federal authorities upon achieving 5 stars.
- If the player is busted, they keep their weapons but their ammo is confiscated. In previous versions, if the player is arrested they have their weapons confiscated.
- Each protagonists' character was made to fit a specific Grand Theft Auto player:
- Michael initially represents the player who has already "beat the game", now living out their life as a successfully retired, wealthy criminal.
- Trevor is a complete psychopath, representing the type of player who prefers to kill people and cause chaos when they free roam.
- Franklin is a small time thug wanting to rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld similar to the traditional protagonists that the player controls in previous games.
- Each protagonist seems to represent a different Rockstar game. Michael represents both Max Payne and Red Dead Redemption, seeing as he is a troubled retired, middle-aged "family man" with a criminal background and bullet-time ability. Franklin represents Midnight Club: Los Angeles, due to him being an ambitious young man with impressive driving skills. Trevor represents Manhunt, mainly because of his psychotic personality and reckless behavior that defines his character.
- In addition, the protagonists' personalities can be determined by how long they sleep. Michael sleeps for 6 hours, Franklin sleeps for 8 hours, and Trevor sleeps for 12 hours. This could mean that Franklin is the most "normal" of the characters judging by his sleeping pattern.
- The game Saints Row IV has a DLC pack of weapons and clothes named GAT V, which is a reference to the initials of Grand Theft Auto V. The publisher, Deep Silver released it for free on PC, mocking GTA V's absence from the platform at the time.
- The script for GTA V is 10,000+ pages long, according to Dan Houser in an interview in 2012.
- The name of the theme song ("Welcome To Los Santos") might be a reference to the first lyrics in Young Maylay's "San Andreas Theme Song" being "Welcome to San Andreas".
- Also, if the player listens to the two theme songs simultaneously, the buildup and beats of both songs are very similar. The main difference is the use of instruments as the "San Andreas Theme Song" has a much more gangsta rap feel to it with a heavy reliance on acoustics (electronic piano, chimes) like early-1990s West Coast hip-hop, while "Welcome to Los Santos" is infused with more bass and horns in addition to acoustics to give it a much "grander and open" feel (saxophone, trumpet).
- In the game, there is an animation for if the player gets stuck under a vehicle, but it is almost never used.
- The animation is used if the player is stuck under a truck, but if the player is stuck under a car, they will simply teleport next to the car.
- GTA V has similar mission structures to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas such as heists requiring setup, as did the main heist in GTA San Andreas and introducing characters by name. Also, many flying missions resembled ones from GTA San Andreas such as Nervous Ron which required dropping equipment from a plane later on in the mission like N.O.E. in GTA San Andreas. Minor Turbulence also had similarities to N.O.E. but also Freefall and Stowaway.
- There is a noticeable similarity between the GTA V logo and the icon on the 1899 $5 bill.[43]
- GTA V is the third game in the series to start with a bank robbery, with Grand Theft Auto III and The Ballad of Gay Tony being the first and second respectively. Unlike the previous two games, however, the bank robbery in GTA V is a playable mission instead of just a mere cutscene.
- GTA V is the first game in the series since Grand Theft Auto Advance where the player can store all the weapons in their inventory instead of replacing them.