how many missions are there in GTA 5? The clear answer is 69 main story missions. However, that number only tells part of the story. GTA 5 is famous for its wide range of side content, heists, and optional activities that make Los Santos feel alive and unpredictable.

Completing all the missions in GTA 5 isn’t simply a matter of completing markers on the map, as in many other games. In Grand Theft Auto V, some missions unlock gradually, some can be completed in different orders, and major heists require you to choose your approach, equipment, and team members in advance.

For your convenience, I’ve broken down how many missions there are in GTA 5, which of them are part of the main campaign, the best order to complete them, how to prepare for the most challenging episodes, and how to complete each mission. We’ll also cover weapon selection, partner selection, approaches to heists, and general helpful tips. Read the walkthrough guide carefully; it’ll be a useful refresher.

How many missions are there in GTA 5?.

Let’s start with the main question: how many missions are there in GTA 5?

The official main campaign countdown indicates there are 69 story missions in the game. However, it’s important to note that, due to the alternate heist setups and three endings, the actual number of available episodes is significantly higher.

Depending on the decisions made, a gamer can encounter up to 74 missions in a single playthrough, and if side branches are included, the total number increases even further. Therefore, the phrase “a total of 69 missions” is only accurate when referring to the official list of main quests.

For 100% completion, the storyline alone isn’t enough. You also need to engage in side activities, individual quests, random events, and other content categories. Specifically, you need to complete not only the 69 main missions listed above, but also 20 required “Strangers and Eccentrics” quests, a specific set of hobbies, random events, and other activities.

Why does the list sometimes differ?

If you searched online for “missions in order,” the number of items may vary from resource to resource. Don’t be surprised, as there are several reasons for this, all of them simple:

• Some tasks open at the same time;
• Preparing for a robbery depends on the approach you choose;
• individual missions can be completed in different orders;
• the final task is chosen by the player;
• Some quests are counted differently in the game’s statistics than in detailed fan lists.

Therefore, the order below is simply a convenient sequence for completing the main campaign, and not an attempt to force the player into the framework of a strict scheme.

A complete list of GTA 5 missions in order

Below is a basic list of story missions. It will help you navigate the story if you want to progress through the game in sequence.

1. Prologue

A bank robbery in North Yankton introduces us to Michael, Trevor and Brad.

2. Franklin and Lamar

Franklin and Lamar pick up customers’ cars for Simon’s dealership.

3. Requisition

The heroes set off to return the motorcycle, after which the first serious shootout occurs.

4. Compensation

Franklin tries to steal an expensive car from Michael’s house.

5. Father and son

Franklin helps Michael get his son Jimmy’s yacht back.

6. Chop

Franklin and Lamar try to find a member of the Ballas gang.

7. Marital counseling

Michael learns of Amanda’s infidelity, and a simple family quarrel turns into a chase.

8. Daddy’s Girl

Michael goes to rescue Tracy from the yacht.

9. Long stretch

Franklin, Lamar and Stretch get into a shootout with bandits.

10. A friend in need is a friend indeed

Michael meets Lester through Lifeinvader.

11. Friend request

Michael infiltrates the Lifeinvader office and engages in a rather bizarre operation involving a prototype phone. 

12. Trevor Phillips Industries

After a plot twist, control shifts to Trevor. After Trevor’s appearance, the plot begins to actively shift between the three characters.

13. Mr. Phillips

Trevor arrives in Los Santos and starts a showdown with his former acquaintances.

14. Nervous Ron

Trevor and Ron attack the airfield in an attempt to deal with the competition.

15. Trevor Phillips Industries

The hero defends his drug trafficking base from attack.

16. Ice Reception

Trevor goes to the Lost MC club.

17. Crystal Labyrinth

Trevor attacks the O’Neill farm.

18. Friends from the Desert

Trevor continues to develop relationships with local residents.

19. According to plan

History returns to the preparation of a big deal.

20. Jewelry store robbery

Michael and Franklin’s first major heist. One of GTA V’s key features is its heist system. It’s not enough to simply grab a machine gun and run to the bank. Before you begin, the game prompts you to choose a method for the operation and assemble your team.

Here, too, there are two options: quiet or loud. Don’t automatically pick the most expensive specialists. In some cases, a cheaper team member can be more beneficial. For example, if you’re a confident marksman and have good sense of direction during a chase, you can save on certain roles.

Before a heist, be sure to buy armor and stock up on ammunition. The money will still appear after the job is completed, and dying an extra death due to lack of armor is a dubious pleasure.

21. Is it easy to be a dad?

Michael continues to deal with family problems.

22. Multipurpose

The heroes carry out another preparatory operation.

23. Trevor, Phillips and others

Trevor’s storyline as he consolidates his position in Blaine County.

24. Military equipment

Heroes gain access to more serious weapons.

25. Mr. Richards

Michael begins working with Richards and gradually returns to the film industry.

26. Free fall

Michael and Trevor chase the plane.

27. Three’s company

One of the first major joint operations of the three main characters.

28. Search for Lester

The characters begin to prepare new major undertakings.

29. Murder is a family matter

Lester continues to draw heroes into his schemes.

30. Blitz game

The team pulls off a heist using a garbage truck and an armored car. This is where role assignment becomes especially clear: Michael provides fire support, Franklin participates in shootouts and the chase, and the other characters perform their own tasks.

It’s crucial not to leave cover too early. In GTA V, enemies quickly surround the player’s position. Therefore, it’s best to take cover, eliminate the closest enemies, and only then carefully advance.

31. Mr. Phillips

Trevor finally establishes himself in Los Santos.

32. Military industry

The hero gets the opportunity to use more serious weapons.

33. Crowd of people

The team is preparing for a new major operation.

34. The Paleto Robbery

Preparations for the bank heist in Paleto Bay are underway. The main advantage here is heavy weaponry. But one significant drawback is that you’ll be moving quite slowly.

Before you begin, fully restore your health, buy armor, check your ammo, equip a powerful assault rifle, and don’t try to conserve ammo at any cost. There are a lot of enemies in this mission, so picking a weak weapon for the sake of impressive accuracy stats isn’t worth it.

When retreating, use cover and don’t try to take out all the police on your own. It’s more effective to move with your team.

35. Predator

The heroes set out to hunt down the gang members.

36. Military affairs

Trevor receives a new task.

37. Dubious Murder

Lester continues his line.

38. Bureau

Michael and Franklin begin preparing for an operation against the FIB.

39. Port reconnaissance

Trevor and Michael inspect the site of the future operation.

40. Military equipment

The team gains access to the necessary equipment.

41. Deep penetration

The heroes are completing the next stage of preparation.

42. The Merryweather Robbery

The team is conducting an operation against Merryweather. If you want to complete the episode without any problems, don’t try to turn it into a speed race. Follow the markers calmly, use cover, and stay close to your teammates. In some episodes, switching between heroes allows you to eliminate dangerous enemies much faster.

43. The Calm Before the Storm

The story gradually brings the heroes into conflict with the FIB.

44. Bureau planning

The team begins preparing for the infiltration.

45. Federal Bureau of Investigation Robbery

Michael, Franklin and the rest of the team carry out the operation.

46. ​​Trouble with the law

After the events surrounding FIB, the situation for the heroes becomes more dangerous.

47. Reunification

The characters are once again drawn into the overall story.

48. Lamar in trouble

Franklin goes to rescue Lamar.

49. Betrayal

The conflict between the heroes reaches a new level.

50. Catastrophe

Michael faces the consequences of his past decisions.

51. Planning a big undertaking

The team begins preparing for the final heist.

52. Preparing for a big deal

It is necessary to collect transport, weapons and people.

53. Big deal

This is the ultimate GTA V heist. The developers have included both obvious and stealthy approaches. If your goal is to maximize your payout, choose your team members carefully, and don’t just rely on expensive specialists.

Moreover, the final heist is the moment when saving on your crew can really have a significant impact on the final cost. Before the operation, it’s important to choose an approach, assemble your team, test their skills, estimate the percentage they’ll take, prepare weapons and vehicles, save the game beforehand, and pray.

If you’re playing through the campaign for the first time, don’t try to replicate the perfect scenario from some video. The system is designed specifically so that different decisions lead to unexpected results.

After the Big Deal, Franklin must make one of three decisions that will affect the ending.

54. A smart decision

Franklin chooses to eliminate Trevor.

55. The Last Hour

Franklin decides to kill Michael.

56. The Third Way

Heroes unite against their enemies.

In various lists, these options are considered the final story missions. This is why the question “What is the penultimate mission in GTA 5?” doesn’t have a definitive answer, as everything depends on the ending chosen.

The “Third Path” is generally considered the most advantageous option for a first playthrough, as it allows you to retain all three main characters. After completing the finale, you can continue freely exploring the world within the game.

What to do with Lester’s missions

Lester’s four mandatory story-advancement missions can be completed later after the first kill, but for maximum profit from the Exchange, it’s wise to save most of these missions for the end of the main campaign.

In other words, if you want to earn the maximum amount of money, don’t rush to complete Lester’s missions immediately after they appear. The only exception is the first mission, which the game requires to advance the story. After the final heist, the heroes will have significantly more capital, so stock market trading will yield more significant results.

Weapons: What to take on missions

There’s no single, universal weapon set for the entire campaign. However, the community has developed a few simple guidelines.

Assault rifle

The best all-round option for most shootouts.

Shotgun

Works great at short range, especially indoors.

Sniper rifle

Useful where you can take a position in advance.

Gun

Don’t underestimate it early in the game. It’s quick to draw and perfect for precision shots.

Explosives

Grenades and sticky bombs are especially useful against groups of enemies and vehicles.

If you’re playing on PS, the controls will differ from the PC version, but the principles remain the same. On PS4 and PS5, the weapon wheel is convenient to use, while on PC, quick switching is accomplished with the keys and mouse wheel.

By the way, if you’re suddenly looking for where to find the b key on your keyboard, it’s just the Latin letter B. In GTA V, it can be used in player-assigned actions, but the specific layout depends on your control settings.

How to complete missions more efficiently

Here are some useful tips that will make the game much easier.

• Save before important missions, especially before heists;
• Don’t waste armor without reason;
• Use special abilities, because these are not decorations, but full-fledged mechanics that significantly simplify the passage of difficult episodes;
• Switch between characters.

Who is better suited for robberies?

In GTA V, choosing a team isn’t just a cosmetic matter. Each specialist has their own cost, skill level, error rate, and impact on the final payout. A more expensive partner is usually more reliable, but that doesn’t mean you should always choose them.

If you play well, some cheaper players can save you a significant amount of money. However, in the final heists, saving too much can have dire consequences. Therefore, it’s best to focus not only on the percentage but also on the specific role and your own skill.

Do I need to complete all missions to get 100%?

If your goal is simply to finish the storyline, it is enough to complete the required main quests and one of the three endings.

If you want full stats, the situation is different. The game includes separate categories for “Strangers and Freaks,” hobbies, entertainment, random events, and other activities. Typically, 100% requires 69 main missions, 20 countable stranger and freak missions, 42 activities, and other requirements. Therefore, completing all characters and all side missions isn’t necessary.

What to do after the story

There’s a lot of content left after the finale. Players can:

• complete strangers’ missions;
• perform random events;
• buy real estate;
• look for collectibles;
• to complete races;
• exercise;
• complete tasks to get 100%;
• explore the map;
• play as any of the three characters.

If you want a complete playthrough, don’t rush to close the game immediately after the ending. Many activities are more enjoyable after completing the main story.

How to avoid getting lost when switching characters

One of the key features of GTA 5’s storyline is that missions don’t always appear in the order the player expects. The following icons may appear on the map at any given time:

• M — Michael;
• F — Franklin;
• T — Trevor;
• L — Leicester;
• ? – strangers and eccentrics.

If you want to follow the plot, first of all, pay attention to the letters of the main characters.

You don’t necessarily have to find the next mission at the other end of the map immediately after completing the previous one. Sometimes the game intentionally leaves multiple options so the player can decide for themselves which side to continue the story. This is especially important if you’re trying to follow a consistent progression.

Frequently asked questions about the GTA 5 walkthrough

How many missions are there in GTA 5?

The official list of the main campaign includes 69 story missions.

In what order should I complete GTA 5 missions?

It’s best to follow the main characters’ quests, which unlock after previous story events. However, the game intentionally allows for some flexibility, so the order of some episodes may differ between players.

Is it possible to complete GTA 5 with only Trevor?

No. It’s not possible to play the entire campaign as Trevor. The story revolves around three characters—Michael, Franklin, and Trevor—whom the player switches between throughout the campaign.

Where can I find the next story mission?

Check the map and switch between characters. If the marker isn’t there, complete an available quest from another character or wait for a phone call. Sometimes the desired event only appears after a certain plot point.

Do I need to complete all the story missions?

To complete the campaign, you need to complete the required main missions and one of the finales. However, if you want to reach 100%, you’ll need to complete significantly more activities.

What is the penultimate mission in GTA 5?

This depends on the final path chosen. After the Big Deal, the game presents Franklin with one of three decisions: eliminate Trevor, eliminate Michael, or choose the “Third Path.” Therefore, there is no universal penultimate mission for every playthrough.

What is the best choice in the final?

For the first playthrough, the “Third Path” is considered the most comfortable option: it allows you to keep all three main characters and continue free play after the finale.