Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game released in 2013. It was created by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. This game is the seventh main title in the Grand Theft Auto series, following Grand Theft Auto IV from 2008, and it is the fifteenth game in the series overall. The story takes place in a fictional area called San Andreas, which is inspired by Southern California. The single-player story follows three main characters: Michael De Santa, a retired bank robber; Franklin Clinton, a street gangster; and Trevor Philips, a drug dealer and gunrunner. These characters work together to plan heists while dealing with challenges from a corrupt government agency and powerful criminals. Players can explore the open world of San Andreas, including its countryside and the fictional city of Los Santos, which is based on Los Angeles.
Players can move through the game world on foot or by vehicle, using either a third-person or first-person view. They control the three main characters during both single-player and multiplayer modes, switching between them as needed. The story focuses on heist missions, which often include shooting and driving challenges. A "wanted" system determines how aggressively law enforcement pursues players after they commit crimes. In Grand Theft Auto Online, the game’s multiplayer mode, up to 30 players can participate in cooperative or competitive activities.
The game was developed by Rockstar’s studios worldwide, starting around the time Grand Theft Auto IV was released. The developers used ideas from previous games, such as Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3, and created the game with three main characters to improve the series’ structure. Much of the development focused on creating the open world, and some team members traveled to California to gather real-world footage for the game’s design. The game’s soundtrack was composed by a team of producers over several years. Grand Theft Auto V was first released in September 2013 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, then in November 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, in April 2015 for Windows, and in March 2022 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
The game was heavily promoted and highly expected before its release. It set sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, earning $800 million in its first day and $1 billion in its first three days. Critics praised the game’s use of multiple protagonists, open world design, and gameplay. However, some people criticized its portrayal of violence and women. Many gaming publications named it Game of the Year. In later years, it is considered one of the most important games from the seventh and eighth generations of consoles and among the best video games ever made. It is the second-best-selling video game of all time, with 225 million copies sold, and one of the most financially successful entertainment products, with nearly $10 billion in worldwide revenue. The next game in the series, Grand Theft Auto VI, is planned for release in November 2026.
Gameplay
Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game that can be played from a third-person or first-person view. Players complete missions—set tasks with specific goals—to move forward in the story. Outside of missions, players can explore the open world freely. The game world includes the San Andreas countryside, the fictional Blaine County, and the city of Los Santos. This world is much larger than previous games in the series and can be fully explored from the beginning without limits, though more content becomes available as the story progresses.
Players use melee attacks, guns, and explosives to fight enemies. They can run, jump, swim, or use vehicles to move around. To help players navigate the large map, the game includes new vehicles not found in earlier games, such as fixed-wing aircraft. In combat, players can use auto-aim and a cover system to help defeat enemies. If players take damage, their health meter slowly regenerates to half its full amount. When health is completely lost, players respawn at hospitals. If players commit crimes, law enforcement responds, shown by a "wanted" meter on the screen. The number of stars on the meter shows the current wanted level. At the highest level, police helicopters and SWAT teams will search for players. The meter resets when players hide from officers for a set time, as shown on the mini-map.
In single-player mode, players control three characters: Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips, and Franklin Clinton. These criminals’ stories connect as they complete missions. Some missions involve only one character, while others include two or three. Outside of missions, players can switch between characters using a compass on the screen, though this is sometimes restricted during the story. During missions, characters may switch automatically to complete tasks. A character’s compass icon turns red if they are in danger and need help, or white if they have an advantage. While missions are completed by the main characters, harder heist missions require help from AI-controlled allies with special skills like hacking or driving. If allies survive a heist, they receive a share of the reward and may assist in later missions with improved abilities. Some heists allow multiple strategies, such as sneaking up on targets with a special tool or attacking openly with weapons.
Each character has eight skills that show their abilities in areas like shooting and driving. Skills improve as players play, and each character starts with one skill already strong (e.g., Trevor’s flying skill). The eighth "special" skill gives each character a unique ability. Michael can slow time during combat, Franklin can slow time while driving, and Trevor deals double damage while taking half as much in battle. A meter on each character’s screen decreases when using these abilities and increases when players perform skillful actions, such as drifting in vehicles or landing headshots.
While exploring the game world, players can do activities like scuba diving and BASE jumping. They can visit places like cinemas and strip clubs. Each character has a smartphone to call friends, start activities, and access an in-game Internet. The Internet allows players to trade stocks in a virtual market. Players can buy properties like garages and businesses, upgrade weapons and vehicles, and change their characters’ appearances by buying clothes, hairstyles, and tattoos.
Plot
In 2004, criminals Michael Townley, Trevor Philips, and Brad Snider attempt to rob a store in Ludendorff, North Yankton, but the robbery fails. Michael is believed to have died in the event. Nine years later, Michael lives in Los Santos with his family under the name Michael De Santa. He made a secret deal with FBI agent Dave Norton to stay hidden. In the same city, Franklin Clinton works for a dishonest car dealer and meets Michael when he tries to take back his son’s car illegally. The two become friends. Later, Michael discovers his wife is cheating on him with her tennis coach. Michael and Franklin chase the coach to a mansion, where Michael damages the property in anger. The mansion’s owner, drug dealer Martin Madrazo, demands money for the damage. To pay him, Michael returns to crime with Franklin’s help. With the aid of Michael’s old friend Lester Crest, a disabled computer expert, they rob a jewelry store to settle the debt. Meanwhile, Trevor, who lives in poor conditions in Blaine County, learns about the robbery and recognizes Michael’s work. Trevor believed the FBI had killed Michael during the Ludendorff robbery. Trevor finds Michael and reunites with him, persuading Michael to accept him back into his life.
Over time, the characters’ lives become more complicated. Michael’s criminal actions cause his family to leave him. Later, when Michael becomes a movie producer, he clashes with Devin Weston, a wealthy businessperson who tries to shut down his studio. Michael stops Weston’s plans and accidentally kills Weston’s lawyer, leading Weston to seek revenge. At the same time, Franklin must save his friend Lamar Davis from Harold “Stretch” Joseph, a rival gang member who tries to kill Lamar multiple times. Meanwhile, Trevor works to control illegal markets in Blaine County, fighting against outlaw motorcycle groups, street gangs, meth dealers, a military company called Merryweather, and a powerful criminal named Wei Cheng.
Because Michael broke his agreement with Dave by committing crimes again, Dave and his boss, Steve Haines, force Michael to work with Franklin and Trevor to sabotage the International Affairs Agency (IAA). Under Steve’s orders and with Lester’s help, they attack an armored truck carrying money for the IAA and steal a dangerous chemical from an IAA lab. As Steve faces more problems, he forces Michael and Franklin to break into the FBI building and delete evidence that could harm him. Michael also deletes evidence of his own crimes, removing Steve’s control over him.
After reconciling with his family, Michael plans a final heist with Trevor, Franklin, and Lester: stealing gold from the Union Depository. However, Trevor learns that Brad was not imprisoned as he thought, but was killed during the Ludendorff robbery and buried in Michael’s grave. Trevor realizes the heist was a trap meant to kill him in Michael’s place. Feeling betrayed, Trevor abandons Michael during a fight with Cheng’s men. Franklin saves Michael, but Trevor’s anger causes tension in the group and risks their plans. Meanwhile, Steve tries to arrest Michael, but a standoff occurs between the FBI, 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 succeeds, but Franklin later meets Steve and Dave, who say Trevor is a risk, and Devin, who still wants revenge on Michael. Franklin must choose: kill Trevor, kill Michael, or try to save both in a dangerous mission. If Franklin kills either Michael or Trevor, he loses his relationship with the other and returns to his old life. If he tries to save both, he and his friends, Lamar and Lester, fight off the FBI and Merryweather, then kill Cheng, Stretch, Steve, and Devin. Michael and Trevor reconcile, and the three main characters stop working together but remain friends.
Development
Rockstar North began developing Grand Theft Auto V in 2008, around the time Grand Theft Auto IV was released. Over 1,000 people worked on the game, including Rockstar North’s main team and employees from Rockstar Games’ other studios worldwide. The company improved its special game engine, called RAGE, to make the game’s graphics clearer and more detailed. Software named Euphoria and Bullet helped with animation and visual effects. Rockstar learned how to use PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 hardware better over time, allowing them to create more advanced graphics than in earlier games. Experts estimated the game’s total development and marketing costs to be over £170 million (about $265 million), making it the most expensive game ever made at that time.
The game’s open world was based on Southern California and Los Angeles. The team studied the area through field trips, photos, and videos. They used Google Maps to design the city’s roads and looked at census data and documentaries to reflect the region’s population. Creating the open world was the most challenging part of the game’s development.
A key goal was to let players control three main characters instead of one. This idea was first considered during the development of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but older hardware made it impossible. After making two expansion packs for Grand Theft Auto IV with new characters, the team decided to create a game with three main characters. They saw this as a continuation of earlier games, like Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption, and Max Payne 3, and aimed to improve gameplay mechanics such as shooting, cover systems, and driving controls.
Actors Ned Luke, Shawn Fonteno, and Steven Ogg were chosen to play Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. Their movements were recorded using motion capture technology, but some dialogue was recorded in studios. The game’s music was composed by a team of producers over several years. More than 241 songs from 15 radio stations were included, with two stations offering talk radio. Some songs were created specifically for the game, such as those by rapper Flying Lotus for the FlyLo FM radio station.
Rockstar Games announced the game on October 25, 2011, and released a trailer a week later. Journalists noted the excitement around the game because of the series’ popularity. The game was delayed from its original release date in early 2013 to September 17, 2013, to allow more improvements. Rockstar offered special editions with extra features to encourage pre-orders and created a fictional religious cult website called “The Epsilon Program” as part of a marketing campaign.
A version of the game for PlayStation 4, Windows (PC), and Xbox One was announced at E3 2014. This version had better graphics, more detailed textures, and new features like a first-person view. The console versions released in November 2014, while the PC version was delayed until April 2015 for additional improvements. The PC version can run at 60 frames per second and 4K resolution, and a tool called Rockstar Editor lets players record and edit gameplay.
Plans for single-player downloadable content (DLC) were later canceled as the team focused on Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Redemption 2. In December 2023, leaked game code suggested eight single-player DLCs were in development but canceled, including a Liberty City expansion.
In June 2020, Rockstar announced a new version called “Expanded & Enhanced,” released in March 2022 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. This version had technical improvements, but a trailer released in September 2021 received negative reactions. Fans were upset because Rockstar focused on updates for Grand Theft Auto V instead of new projects and the trailer showed few new features. The PC version received these updates for free in March 2025.
Grand Theft Auto Online, a multiplayer mode developed alongside the single-player game, allows up to 30 players to explore the game world and complete missions together. Players can create custom jobs using a tool called Content Creator, join teams called crews, and earn rewards. The mode launched on October 1, 2013, but had technical issues, such as connection problems and lost progress. Rockstar fixed these issues with updates and gave players in-game money as compensation.
New content for Grand Theft Auto Online is added regularly through free updates. Some updates add new game modes, while others include themed events, like the Independence Day Special. A major update called Online Heists added new missions but faced initial technical problems. After the PC version launched, some players were banned from the multiplayer mode for unknown reasons.
Reception
Critics gave Grand Theft Auto V high praise, according to Metacritic, which collected 50 reviews for the PlayStation 3 version and 58 reviews for the Xbox 360 version. The game is Metacritic's fifth-highest rated, tied with others. Reviewers appreciated the use of multiple main characters, the design of heist missions, and the game's presentation. However, some reviewers disagreed about the quality of the story and characters. IGN called the game "one of the very best video games ever made," and Play described it as "generation-defining" and "exceptional." Edge said it was a "remarkable achievement" in open-world design and storytelling, while The Daily Telegraph called it a "colossal feat of technical engineering." It became the second western-developed game to receive a perfect score from Famitsu, a Japanese video game magazine, after The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
CNET noted that the game encouraged players to use all three characters. Edge said switching between characters helped reduce long travel times to mission locations. Game Informer mentioned that the switching feature kept players "in the thick of the action" during shootouts. Eurogamer wrote that switching added a tactical element, as characters in strategic positions reduced "shooting gallery" situations. IGN said the switching feature gave players more choices and made missions less predictable.
Giant Bomb called the heist missions a welcome change from the usual mission structure. Eurogamer compared them to "blockbuster set-pieces," and GameSpot said the missions were influenced by the 1995 film Heat. Joystiq noted that the missions encouraged creativity and planning. Polygon compared rapid character switching during heist missions to "film editing," with the player acting as the editor. Computer and Video Games said the overall mission design was more varied than earlier games and did not include escort missions.
Edge praised the game's high-quality graphics and lack of load screens. Play complimented the distance players could see and the weather and lighting systems. Eurogamer said the lighting system was the game's biggest improvement. Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) called the game "probably the Xbox 360's greatest technical achievement" and was surprised the open world could run on the console. Reviewers praised the open-world design, which simplified Los Angeles's geography into a well-designed city. GameTrailers said the Los Angeles setting felt authentic, and IGN and PlayStation Official Magazine (OPM) compared Los Santos to Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City. OXM said Los Santos was better than the "grey and gritty" Liberty City. Reviewers also praised the game's satire of modern American culture, with OPM noting that "the scathing social commentary is, of course, present and correct."
Destructoid called the sound design "impeccable" and praised the actors' performances, original soundtrack, and licensed music. IGN and Giant Bomb said the music selection and original score helped build dramatic tension during missions. GameSpot wrote that the score "lends missions more cinematic flavor." Edge said the licensed music improved the city's "already remarkable sense of space" and the original score enhanced the game's atmosphere. They summarized the game as "a compendium of everything Rockstar has learned about the power of game music in the past decade."
Many reviewers said the land-based vehicles were easier to control than in previous games. Game Informer explained that "cars have a proper sense of weight, while retaining the agility necessary for navigating through traffic at high speeds." Most reviewers noted that shooting mechanics were improved, but Destructoid said auto-aim was "twitchy and unreliable" and cover mechanics "still come off as dated and unwieldy." Some reviewers said the game solved a long-standing issue by adding mid-mission checkpoints.
The story and characters—especially Trevor—divided reviewers. Some said the story was weaker than previous Rockstar games and compared it to Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption's plots. Others said the characters' different personalities helped keep the story's pacing tight. GamesRadar said the game fixed story inconsistencies and unclear morality from earlier games. GameSpot called Trevor a "horrible, terrifying, psychotic human being—and a terrific character." Eurogamer said Trevor was "shallow and unconvincing" and that his eccentricities hurt the story and overshadowed Michael and Franklin's development. Joystiq said the characters lacked likability, as the conflict between Michael and Trevor became a "seemingly endless cycle." The Escapist had trouble connecting with the characters' emotions because they acted out of greed with no sense of morality, giving players little reason to support them.
The game's re-release also received high praise. It is the highest-rated PlayStation 4 and Xbox One game on Metacritic, along with Red Dead Redemption 2, and the second-highest rated PC game, tied with others.
Game Informer said the addition of first-person gameplay was a major improvement for the series, similar to Grand Theft Auto III's shift to third-person from the earlier games' bird's-eye view. GameSpot said playing in first-person made the game's violence more impactful, making players think more about morality and character motives. VideoGamer.com said players felt like they were living in the game world rather than "guns attached to a floating camera." IGN said the first-person view improved immersion and created a "surprisingly different experience." VideoGamer.com praised details like camera lean when taking corners on motorcycles or navigational instruments in plane cockpits. Reviewers said the game was harder to play in first-person, but Game Informer preferred the challenge.
GameSpot said the improved graphics and spatial anti-aliasing made the open world "even more spectacular." They said everything looked "bigger and more imposing" in first-person. IGN preferred the PlayStation 4 version's graphics over the Xbox One but said both consoles rendered the game well with mostly consistent frame rates. They praised the PC version's increased frame rate and graphics options. VideoGamer.com called the console version's frame rate "scarcely believable," though GameSpot noted occasional dips. They said the PC version let
Controversies
The mission "By the Book" in a video game caused concern among reviewers because it required players to use torture equipment during a hostage interrogation. Reviewers pointed out that the mission commented on the use of torture by the United States government but found the scene inappropriate. GameSpot said the mission’s message was unclear because a character named Trevor gave a speech that seemed to contradict the mission’s purpose. Eurogamer noted that the close-up camera angles and quick-time events made the scene more intense than previous violent scenes in the game and said the mission lacked enough background to justify the violence. Politicians and anti-torture groups criticized the mission. Journalist Tom Chick defended the scene, stating that unlike other games or movies, the mission’s message about torture required the violent content. The torture gameplay was removed from the Japanese version of the game.
Some reviewers criticized the game’s portrayal of women as disrespectful. VG247 described female characters as being shown only for rescue, being yelled at, or being involved in sexual situations. Edge noted that male characters were also shown with exaggerated violent tendencies. After GameSpot’s reviewer Carolyn Petit called the game misogynistic, she received backlash, including 20,000 negative comments and a petition demanding her removal from the site. Many journalists supported her right to express her opinion and criticized the gaming community’s resistance to criticism.
In December 2014, Australian stores Target and Kmart removed the game from their shelves after a petition against its violent depictions of women gathered over 40,000 signatures. Take-Two Interactive’s chief operating officer, Strauss Zelnick, said the company was disappointed by the removal and defended its products. IGN called the petition “misinformed,” stating the game did not reward sexual violence. Australia’s Classification Board banned games with sexual violence, which would have prevented the game from being sold there. Kotaku said the game’s portrayal of women was problematic and supported the stores’ decision to remove it.
Petit and activist Ben Colliver criticized the game’s depiction of transgender characters as sex workers with muscular bodies, calling it harmful and stereotypical. They said the portrayal did not reflect the real experiences of transgender people. In 2022, the game’s re-release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S removed transgender-related content except in Director Mode, where characters could be viewed but not interacted with. Some believed the removal was influenced by an open letter from LGBTQ+ group Out Making Games, which praised Rockstar Games for the change.
In October 2013, rapper Daz Dillinger sent a cease-and-desist letter to Rockstar Games, claiming his songs were used without permission. In February 2014, reality TV personality Karen Gravano sued Rockstar, saying a character was based on her without consent. Rockstar dismissed the lawsuit, citing the First Amendment. Actress Lindsay Lohan also sued Rockstar, claiming the game’s character Lacey Jonas was inspired by her. Rockstar dismissed the case, calling it frivolous. Both lawsuits were dropped in 2016.
Sales
Grand Theft Auto V made more than $815 million in worldwide sales within 24 hours of its release, which means about 11.21 million copies were sold for Take-Two Interactive. This amount was almost twice what experts had predicted. Three days after its release, the game reached $1 billion in sales, becoming the fastest-selling entertainment product in history. Six weeks later, Rockstar had sent nearly 29 million copies to stores, surpassing the total sales of Grand Theft Auto IV. On October 7, 2013, the game became the best-selling digital release on the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3, breaking the previous record held by The Last of Us, though specific sales numbers were not shared. On October 8, the game broke seven Guinness World Records, including best-selling video game in 24 hours, highest-grossing video game in 24 hours, fastest entertainment product to reach $1 billion, and most viewed trailer for an action-adventure game.
A digital version was released for Xbox 360 on October 18, becoming the highest-grossing day-one and week-one release on Xbox Live. By May 2014, the game had made nearly $1.98 billion in revenue. By August 2014, over 34 million copies had been sold to retailers for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. By December 2014, 45 million copies had been shipped, including 10 million from a re-released version. By April 2018, the game had generated about $6 billion in revenue, becoming the most profitable entertainment product ever. It had sold nearly 100 million copies by July 2018 and over 150 million copies by July 2021. More copies were sold in 2020 than in any other year since its 2013 launch. By late 2023, the game’s total revenue reached $8.5 billion, earning over $500 million each year with about 22 million monthly active players. By December 2025, 225 million copies had been sold worldwide across all platforms. In May 2025, the game had made nearly $10 billion in total revenue.
In the United Kingdom, the game became the fastest-selling game ever, selling over 2.25 million copies in five days. This broke the previous record held by Call of Duty: Black Ops, which sold 2 million copies in the same time. The game sold 1.57 million copies on its first day, making £65 million. In two weeks, it sold over 2.6 million copies, earning £90 million, which was 52% of all games sold in September 2013. After three weeks on sale, it surpassed Grand Theft Auto IV’s total sales in the UK. In its fourth week, it became the fastest-selling game to reach 3 million copies in the UK, surpassing Black Ops II’s lifetime sales. In November 2014, the game became the best-selling game of all time in the UK, overtaking Black Ops. In North America, it was the best-selling game in September, making up over 50% of software sales and increasing total software sales by 52% compared to September 2012.
Legacy
Critics agreed that Grand Theft Auto V was one of the best games for the seventh-generation consoles and a strong final game before the eighth generation began. Polygon said the game "connects the current state of gaming with what's coming next" and called it "the end of this generation and the standard for the next." Kyle Prahl of PlayStation Universe believed the game "gives this console generation the proper farewell," and VideoGamer.com described it as "the ultimate final work for this console cycle" that would "have a lasting influence on the next." Three days after its release, the game was ranked second on IGN's "Top 25 Xbox 360 Games" list. IGN noted that the game's open world was more detailed and larger than most other Xbox 360 games. They called it "a success for both gamers and the gaming industry itself" and said it deserved its widespread popularity. In November 2013, Hardcore Gamer placed the game third on their "Top 100 Games of the Generation" list. They praised its improved shooting and driving features compared to earlier games and called the use of multiple main characters "a refreshing change" that might set a standard for future games. In December, The Daily Telegraph listed the game among their "50 best games of the console generation." They described it as a "major cultural influence" that would "be Rockstar's lasting achievement."
In January 2014, Computer and Video Games ranked the game fourth on their "Games of the Generation" list. They said Rockstar created an "exceptionally beautiful" open world for the first time. They noted the game avoided the repetitive missions of Grand Theft Auto IV and focused on enjoyable gameplay. In May, IGN ranked it eighth on their "Top 100 Games of a Generation" list and called it a "large, lively, and ambitious link to the [eighth] generation of console gaming." The next month, it placed third on IGN's "Games of a Generation: Your Top 100" list as chosen by the site's readers. In August, Game Informer ranked it third on their "Top 10 Action Games Of The Generation" list. They compared the game's quality to its predecessor but said its use of multiple characters, varied missions, and multiplayer features surpassed Grand Theft Auto IV's position on the list. They described the game's story as "absurdly dramatic" and praised the open world's size, saying they "did not regret a single moment" playing it. In November, Edge named it the fifth-best game of its generation and noted that "no other game studio dares to create an open world game in its style because it is impossible to match its standards." In 2015, the publication ranked it the second-greatest video game of all time.
The game was highly ranked on several public best-game lists. It was eighth on Empire's "100 Greatest Video Games Of All Time" list and fifth on Good Game's "Top 100 Games" list, as chosen by the magazine and program's audiences. Grand Theft Auto V was the most tweeted game of 2015, even though it had been released over a year earlier. In 2025, Rolling Stone ranked it the third-best game, citing its "major impact" on the gaming industry. According to Circana senior director Mat Piscatella, the game was the third-most-played game on PlayStation in the United States in both 2024 and 2025.
Development of Grand Theft Auto VI was confirmed by Rockstar in February 2022. The game was officially announced in December 2023 and is currently planned for release in November 2026.
The game was used in a study by Intel Labs where they explored a method for improving its graphics using neural networks.