As Grand Theft Auto 5 and its multiplayer mode GTA Online arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S this week, Rockstar Games’ legendary crime-thriller shows no signs of slowing down. It’s potentially daunting to think about, but the original GTA 5 launched 8 years ago on systems that are now two generations removed from the current ones. As much as fans are justifiably desperate to see where the franchise goes next, the publisher can’t really be blamed for wanting to get its money’s worth. After all, in the aforementioned span of time, GTA 5 has sold a staggering 160 million copies.
That number makes Grand Theft Auto 5 the second-highest selling video game of all time. With the updated current generation versions of the game hitting the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S early on in their life cycles, that number is only going to grow. While a constant stream of multiplayer content has helped to keep players engaged in GTA 5’s universe since its launch, it can be argued that the singleplayer experience’s narrative adventure has greatly aided its longevity, too. Unlike previous installments in the series, the structure of GTA 5's final mission is placed directly in the hands of players. Consequently, that means there’s multiple endings for them to chase and process.
GTA 5’s Ending A
Once they’ve worked through the 30-hour-long crime thriller that is Grand Theft Auto 5’s main story campaign, players on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S will be faced with a complicated moral dilemma that many have pondered before. After bonding with Franklin, Michael, and Trevor, whilst building up to and ultimately pulling off the Union Depository heist, the former has to decide which members of the crew walk away alive. That's because before one of the three final missions can start, Franklin is contacted separately by Devin Weston and Steve Haines. The pair want Michael and Trevor killed for the roles they’ve played in spreading chaos throughout San Andreas.
Should players decide to follow through on Haines' orders, a metaphorical target will be placed on Trevor’s back and the quest ‘Something Sensible’ will start. After setting up a meeting with Trevor to discuss the issues that have plagued the trio, Franklin pulls out a gun on his associate when it becomes clear that he doesn’t understand the part he's played in spreading chaos. Feeling betrayed by the fact that he’s always been honest and truthful with Franklin, Trevor flees the scene in a fit of rage. One of GTA’s famous car chase scenes plays out from this point, until Michael intervenes by ramming Trevor’s red truck into the side of a gas tanker.
The scene that takes place after this part of the mission is arguably one of Grand Theft Auto 5’s most tragic. Consumed by rage due to the fact that his friends have betrayed him, Trevor orders Franklin to kill him. In a clever piece of game design, Rockstar Games has made it so that either crew member can actually take the shot though. If players dawdle making Franklin shoot, Michael will step in to do so instead. In either eventuality, the nearby fuel tanker is ignited, and Trevor is horrifically burnt to death. Out of the three endings, option A is still the neutral conclusion, though. Despite the grief they’re going through, both Michael and Franklin remain close friends and will share Trevor’s heist money between themselves.
GTA 5’s Ending B
Grand Theft Auto 5’s second alternate ending will start if players decide to go through with Devin Weston’s orders to kill Michael. Out of the three options that are on the table to Franklin, this path is arguably the one that most closely resembles what could be considered a bad ending. This starts to become clear at the very beginning of the mission ‘The Time's Come’, when Trevor refuses to play a part in the plot against his long-time partner. Without any subsequent assistance, Franklin meets Michael to discuss the situation between the pair. Due to the fact that Michael has acted as his mentor throughout GTA 5’s story, though, Franklin starts to feel remorse when it becomes clear that his father figure has grown as a person.
During a phone call with his wife, Michael is visibly pleased that his daughter Tracy has secured a place in college, for example. Picking up on the vibe of the meeting, Michael ultimately flees the scene before Franklin can follow through with his assassination attempt. Another traditional GTA chase scene takes place after this, which sees the pair race across Los Santos’ open-world to the Palmer-Taylor Power Station. Upon climbing up to the top of the industrial structure, Franklin pushes Michael off of it after being bombarded by some cutting remarks from his mentor.
After doing so, Franklin instantly regrets his angry outburst. It’s at this point that Rockstar Games presents the illusion of another moral choice for the player to wrestle with. Upon catching Michael’s free-falling hand, the option to either let him go or pull him back to the top is presented. In reality though, Michael's death is guaranteed either way due to his refusal to accept Franklin’s apology. After the credits have rolled, it becomes clear how dark option B truly is, as characters like Trevor and Jimmy cut off all contact from Franklin. In another unexpected twist, Michael's share of the heist is given to his family, effectively penalizing the player.
GTA 5’s Ending C
To balance out Grand Theft Auto 5’s grim endings, Rockstar Games has created a more wholesome alternative for players looking for something that resembles a happy conclusion. Instead of going through with the orders that they receive from their associates, players can alternatively set up a brainstorming meeting between Franklin and Lester. Having orchestrated each of the group’s heists, it’s perhaps little surprise that the tech genius is able to eventually devise a plan to make sure each member walks away rich and unscathed.
Appropriately dubbed ‘The Third Way’, Grand Theft Auto 5’s final mission sees Franklin, Michael, Trevor, and Lamar set a trap for their FIB and Merryweather adversaries. After fighting through waves of enemies, Franklin, Michael, and Trevor split off to take out three important targets that have been orchestrating the conspiracies against them. It’s only after the subsequent deaths of Steve Haines, Stretch, and Wei Cheng that Trevor finally kidnaps GTA 5’s primary antagonist Devin Weston in the trunk of his car. Rendezvousing in the Chiliad Mountain State Wilderness, the playable trio resolve to push the billionaire and his car over into the sea, which is an act that kills the villain instantly.
Out of all the ways that GTA 5 can end, ending C is arguably the one that wraps up the game in the neatest possible way. Beyond remaining friends and playable characters, Franklin, Trevor, and Michael also split their heist money equally three ways after the credits roll. It should be mentioned that for a long time, there was debate among the Grand Theft Auto community as to which of the three endings was canon to the game’s universe. It wasn’t until last year's Franklin-centric GTA Online expansion 'The Contract', that Rockstar officially waded into the debate. Thanks to a few subtle references to his associates, fans now know that ending C just so happens to be the canon conclusion to GTA 5 as well.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and will be coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on March 15.