How to Play Grand Theft Auto 5 Online

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 Tested

Grand Theft Auto 5 (GTA V) offers its fans an open world online experience where players can complete missions together or compete against each other. If you want to get the most out of your online experience and play like a real pro, scroll down to step 1.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Creating a Character

1
Create a character. The manner of creating your own character in GTA V is different from the usual process of character creation. It is not simply customizing your character’s height, color, or looks. In this game, character creation is divided into three parts. Heritage, Lifestyle, and Appearance.
2
Choose your heritage. GTA V lets you choose four grandparents that will affect how your parents will look. These generated parents will then define what your character will look like. This makes sense, since it simulates the natural method of how our physical appearance is affected by our roots. You can also adjust the degree of your resemblance to your parents.

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3
Choose your lifestyle. You’ll be asked to distribute points to different activities that will influence your character’s in-game abilities (such as stamina, strength, and shooting skills). This process still slightly affects your physical appearance. For example, putting a lot of points into your "Sitting on the Couch" attribute will quickly make your character overweight.
4
Change your appearance. Set your age, hair type, hair color, and other details of your character. Make sure you make your character unique because this character will represent you online. When you are satisfied with how your character looks, choose "Save & Continue".
5
Name your character. Give your character a name and get ready to dive into the online world of GTA V!

Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Starting the Game

1
Finish the tutorial missions. Your adventure begins when you arrive at the Los Santos Airport. Lamar (from GTA V story mode) picks you up and your tutorial missions begin. Lamar will immediately introduce you to some GTA V missions that you can play online.
2
Play nice with others. Or not. Keep in mind that these tutorial missions are actual multiplayer sessions with other online players. This is a good chance for you to get a feel of what is in store for you after the lengthy tutorial.
3
Reap the rewards. Since the tutorial missions are actual multiplayer matches, you will be rewarded with actual Reputation Points (RP) and money right after every successful tutorial mission. RP is very important since it determines your ranking online. Money or cash will allow you to buy yourself weapons, vehicles, and any other important stuff online.
4
Explore and familiarize yourself with the map. Right after finishing the tutorial missions, you are now free to roam around and further explore Los Santos and Blaine County. Check out the map to learn the basic regions. The mini–map will also make your life easier, since it shows map icons that correspond to different locations in Los Santos and Blaine County.
5
Drive around. Drive around and start getting acquainted with the fastest routes to places and the smaller details of the neighborhoods. This will help you learn your way around even more, so that you don't have to check the map as often.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Leveling Like a Pro

1
Start increasing your rank. You can start raising your RP (Reputation Points) and cash by joining online matches and accepting missions. Your RP determines your online ranking in GTA V, so if you want to rank-up fast, you better gain lots of RP. You can check out your map to see where to go to join in online matches or get missions.
2
Choose your game mode. There are several multiplayer game modes such as Deathmatch, Race, Free Mode, and others that you can compete on to receive rewards. These multiplayer matches sometimes involve co-op but most of the time it’s every man for himself, especially with racing. Make sure to equip your character properly before joining in online sessions.
3
Bring backup. Get in touch with Lester and Martin for missions that usually involve teamwork to succeed, such as heists. That being said, the most effective way of doing missions on GTA V is by inviting other players to join your crew or you joining other groups. Group missions generate 20% more reputation than doing missions on solo.
4
Keep an eye out for cops. Avoid alarming the cops. Alarming the cops during missions will make your task harder to accomplish. It is better to leave your star level (warning level) at low or better yet, zero to make your ranking up hassle-free. If you have alarmed the cops already, make sure not to be caught to avoid penalty.
5
Get a sweet ride. Don’t forget to upgrade your weapon and vehicle. Having dependable weapons and get away vehicles is a sure way to make your RP grinding faster. However, spend your money wisely. Don’t just waste your money on clothes or other stuff that just affects aesthetics.
6
Find other RP sources. You can also earn RP by just simply challenging other players for a game of tennis, golf, and other activities. This can be a great boost for your RP and it's fun to do too!

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Playing Like a Pro

1
Play wisely. When you’re already in the roll of taking in missions left and right, the competition gets tighter. Some online players might just put a bounty on your head or just plainly kill you to steal your cash or expensive vehicle. These things can be avoided if you play smart.
2
Deposit your cash. You can deposit your cash using your phone’s browser and deposit online. You don’t have to carry all your hard earned money in your pocket all the time. This makes your money secured even if someone kills you out of nowhere and tries to mug you. Just carry enough money and you’ll be fine.
3
Bring your crew. Having a lot of friends online is a sure way of driving away enemies. Online players that have their eyes on you will have second thoughts targeting you if they find out that you have a lot of friends and that you can retaliate immediately if they decide to touch you.
4
Keep your vehicles safe. You can store your fancy vehicles in garages so that they cannot be easily stolen or destroyed by other online players.
5
Trick out your character. Don’t forget to improve your abilities as you gain ranking. Some abilities will just be unlocked once you reach a certain level. Having improved abilities will not only make your survival rate in GTA V Online higher, it will also make it easier for you to recruit other players to join your crew.
6
Get more money! Have a steady flow of cash. You won’t be able to upgrade anything without money. Fast ways of earning money is by doing quick missions. If you want higher pay outs, consider doing heists and bounty hunting.
- You can also purchase GTA Dollars straight from PlayStation Network or from Xbox Games Store.

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Having Fun Online

1
Check out the Rockstar Social Club. All your online stats will be posted on the Rockstar Social Club^{[1]
X
Research source}. Make sure to check out how your character is doing and where are you at in the GTA V Online leaderboards.
2
Check up on your friends. Aside from your own stats, you can also check out your crew, friends, or even other players’ stats, too.
3
Watch out for online events and news.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I let my friends enter my server?

Community Answer

As long as you have friends online, you can press Start, go to Settings (in the game) and you should be able to invite them on the Friends tab.
Question

What does it mean to have a bounty on you?

Community Answer

If you have bounty on you, that means someone wants you dead and is paying money to have you killed.
Question

How do I hide from other players?

Community Answer

The map of GTA V is massive and there are many alleyways to run about and lose people in. You can also turn yourself off the radar for several minutes if you wish to sneak up on someone.

Warnings

Be aware that if you have a bounty on your head, many players will try to kill you to collect the money.

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Using cheats or mods can get you reported and banned.

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Do not annoy other players such as yelling into the mic, using strong language, etc.

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Destroying other player's vehicles and bikes will make you a bad sport, which can irritate other players.

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