GTA 5 heists guide
The six Story Mode heists in GTA 5, their approaches, how crews work and tips for a bigger take. Spoiler light.
Key facts
- Planner
- Lester
- Heist missions
- 6 (IGN's walkthrough)
- Crew roles
- Gunman, driver, hacker
- Approach choices
- Jewel Store Job, Merryweather Heist, Bureau Raid, Big Score
- Replay
- Heists can be replayed with the other approach
Heists are the backbone of GTA 5’s story. Every so often Lester and the three leads plan a big job, hire a crew and pull it off together. This guide explains how the system works and how to get the most out of it, without spoiling the plot.
How heists work
- Setup. The crew scouts the target in a normal story mission, which ends at Lester’s planning board.
- The planning board. IGN explains that Lester plans each heist, while you make the key choices: the approach and the crew.
- The crew. You hire extra people for roles like gunman, getaway driver and hacker. Better crew members take a bigger cut of the money.
- Preparation. Each approach has its own prep missions to gather the vehicles, gear and disguises it needs.
- The job. You play the heist itself, switching between characters, and the take is split at the end.
GamesRadar describes the trade off set up by the first heist: save money with an untested gunman and keep a bigger share, or pay for a skilled hacker who lets you clear the store before the alarms go off.
The heists
IGN’s walkthrough numbers six heist missions, listed here in story order. Its overview page counts five, leaving out Blitz Play. Each one is tied to a trophy in GamesRadar’s list.
The Jewel Store Job
- Approaches: Smart or Loud. IGN says Smart needs two extra prep missions, while Loud needs one but is more dangerous.
- Trophy: Diamond Hard.
- Crew note: IGN warns that a low skill gunman can crash during the getaway in the Smart version and cost you 30% of the take, unless you drive over his dropped bag.
The Merryweather Heist
- Approaches: Freighter or Offshore. In the Freighter plan, Franklin snipes from a distance while Michael boards the ship. The Offshore plan uses a Cargobob and a minisub, takes more prep, and IGN notes Trevor suggests Flight School for Michael first.
- Trophy: Subversive.
- After it: The Sonar Collections Dock goes on sale, as GamesRadar explains. That opens the nuclear waste hunt in our collectibles guide.
Blitz Play
- Approach: One plan, with several prep missions to gather a trash truck, a tow truck, masks and boiler suits.
- Trophy: Blitzed.
The Paleto Score
- Approach: One plan. After the setup mission, Lester asks you to pick one extra gunman. IGN suggests Packie or Chef.
- Trophy: Small Town, Big Job, which asks you to make a big impression at the Paleto Bay Chicken Festival. That hints at how loud it gets.
The Bureau Raid
- Approaches: Firetruck or Rooftop. IGN lists a getaway vehicle, a firetruck and two gunmen for the Firetruck plan, and a hacker, a gunman and a driver for the Rooftop plan. The Firetruck plan needs more prep and less shooting, while the Rooftop plan is shorter and heavier on gunplay.
- Trophy: The Government Gimps.
The Big Score
- Approaches: Subtle or Obvious. IGN lists three modified getaway cars, police stingers and one driver for Subtle, and two drivers, two gunmen, a getaway car, a train setup and a giant drill for Obvious.
- Payout: IGN puts the Subtle take at roughly $15 million to $20 million per character and says Obvious pays more, in exchange for a much bigger firefight.
- Trophy: The Big One!
Crew tips
- Hire the best you can. IGN’s money guide says the best available crew usually saves you more than its cut costs, because weak members can lose part of the take.
- Some plans train your crew. IGN notes that the Rooftop plan for The Bureau Raid and the Obvious plan for The Big Score give your crew members a 25% stats boost.
- Look out for new hires. Kotaku points out that some random events can add a new crew member to your list.
Approach tips
- Match the plan to your crew. A quiet plan leans on your hacker and prep work, while a loud plan leans on your gunmen and drivers.
- Use special abilities. Michael’s slow motion aiming and Trevor’s rampage help in firefights, as covered in our tips guide.
- Try both. Kotaku notes that heists can be replayed with a different approach, so pick the one that sounds most fun first.
What to do with the money
Heist payouts are your stock market fund. GamesRadar and PC Gamer both suggest saving four of Lester’s assassination missions until after the story, so you can invest heist money before each one. Our money guide has the full plan.
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