Can You Do Criminal Mastermind Twice in GTA Online?
The short and definitive answer is: no, you cannot complete the original Apartment Heists Criminal Mastermind challenge twice with the same character in GTA Online. This challenge, known for its difficulty and hefty payout, is designed to be a one-time achievement for each character. Once you’ve successfully completed the Criminal Mastermind for the Apartment Heists, that character can never earn the associated reward again. This is a crucial point to understand before embarking on this challenging endeavor. However, it’s important to distinguish between the different Criminal Mastermind challenges in GTA Online, as other heists have their own versions with varying restrictions. Let’s delve deeper into what makes the original challenge so unique and why it’s not repeatable.
The Original Apartment Heists Criminal Mastermind: A One-Time Feat
The original Criminal Mastermind challenge is linked to the five original apartment heists: The Fleeca Job, The Prison Break, The Humane Labs Raid, Series A Funding, and The Pacific Standard Job. To complete this challenge, you and your crew must complete all of these heists, in order, on hard difficulty, with the same team of four, and without anyone dying. The reward for this is a substantial $10,000,000 in-game cash bonus, alongside a unique in-game achievement.
The key reason you can’t do it again is that it’s tied to a specific account-based reward. Once a character on your GTA Online account completes this challenge, the game flags that account as having received this reward, and subsequent attempts with the same or a different character on the same account will not yield another payout. While you can certainly replay these heists with the same character, you won’t receive the $10,000,000 Criminal Mastermind bonus a second time.
Why Is It So Difficult?
The difficulty of the Criminal Mastermind challenge is what makes it so exclusive. Any slight mistake or death during a heist means you have to restart from the very beginning, starting again with the Fleeca Job. This is why clear communication and a highly coordinated team are essential for success. The risk is high, but the reward is significant, making it one of the most coveted achievements in GTA Online.
Understanding Death and Failure
Failing a stage of the challenge, which is most commonly caused by a death, requires immediate and decisive action. If a member of your crew dies, it’s crucial to quit the game immediately before the game registers the death. If the death is registered, your progress is reset, and you’ll have to start over from the Fleeca Job. To ensure a smooth and successful run, it is advised to communicate effectively, pause as needed, and be meticulous with every stage.
Criminal Mastermind and Other Heists: A Different Story
While the original Apartment Heists Criminal Mastermind is a one-time affair, other heists introduced later in GTA Online have their own Criminal Mastermind variants. Specifically, the Doomsday Heist has its own Criminal Mastermind Challenges, and those challenges are structured differently. These versions are also account-based rewards and can only be earned once per character. These include:
- Criminal Mastermind II (Doomsday Heist): Complete all Doomsday Heist missions in order, with the same team of 2 players, on Hard difficulty, without losing any lives.
- Criminal Mastermind III (Doomsday Heist): Complete all Doomsday Heist missions in order, with the same team of 3 players, on Hard difficulty, without losing any lives.
- Criminal Mastermind IV (Doomsday Heist): Complete all Doomsday Heist missions in order, with the same team of 4 players, on Hard difficulty, without losing any lives.
These Doomsday Criminal Mastermind challenges have separate rewards and are also one-time opportunities. While these challenges are repeatable with other characters on the same account, they can only be earned once per character. It’s important to note that progress is often reset in these challenges if the requirements are not strictly followed. This includes disconnecting from the game, playing with different team members, or changing the difficulty.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I attempt Criminal Mastermind with a second character on the same account?
No, if you have already completed the original Criminal Mastermind (apartment heists) on one character, you will not receive the $10,000,000 reward on a second character. The bonus is account-based, not character-based.
2. What heists are included in the original Criminal Mastermind Challenge?
The original challenge includes: The Fleeca Job, The Prison Break, The Humane Labs Raid, Series A Funding, and The Pacific Standard Job.
3. Does the Cayo Perico Heist affect the Criminal Mastermind Challenge?
No, the Cayo Perico Heist does not affect the original Criminal Mastermind challenge. These are separate heist and challenges. As long as you only do the original heists in order, it has no impact on your progress for the Criminal Mastermind.
4. What happens if someone dies during a Criminal Mastermind attempt?
If someone dies, you must quit the game immediately before the death is registered to avoid resetting your progress. If the game registers the death, you have to start over from The Fleeca Job.
5. Can I restart the Criminal Mastermind Challenge after failing?
Yes, you can restart the Criminal Mastermind challenge after failing, but you have to begin from the very first heist, The Fleeca Job.
6. Can you redo the heists by calling Lester to replay them?
Yes, calling Lester to replay a heist is the way to start the Criminal Mastermind process after you have failed.
7. How much do I get for completing the original Criminal Mastermind?
Completing the original Criminal Mastermind (apartment heists) rewards you with $10,000,000 in-game cash.
8. Do Doomsday Heist Criminal Mastermind challenges work the same way?
Doomsday Heist Criminal Mastermind challenges are also one-time rewards per character. Each difficulty for the challenge has a different number of players, different requirements, and different rewards.
9. Can I get banned for using glitches in heists?
Yes, using glitches, especially to repeat high-paying heists repeatedly may result in a ban or account suspension, but not usually for common glitches like the disconnect method to avoid death in the criminal mastermind challenges.
10. Does the Fleeca Job count towards the loyalty award?
Yes, the Fleeca job does count towards the Loyalty Challenge, which is the reward for playing heists with the same group.
11. Is the Doomsday Heist the hardest in the game?
The Doomsday Heist is considered one of the most difficult and lengthy heists in GTA Online, especially when attempting the Criminal Mastermind challenges.
12. Can you do Criminal Mastermind with three players?
For the original Criminal Mastermind, you require a team of four. However, there are Doomsday Heist Criminal Mastermind challenges with teams of two, three, and four.
13. Can I change the difficulty of a heist mid-Criminal Mastermind attempt?
No, you must play all heists on Hard difficulty for the Criminal Mastermind challenge. Changing the difficulty will reset your progress.
14. What are the highest-paying heists in GTA Online?
The Diamond Casino Heist is known for having some of the highest payout potentials in GTA Online.
15. What does “saving failed” mean in GTA Online?
A “saving failed” message in GTA Online indicates that the Rockstar servers are having trouble saving your game data, usually due to high server load or connectivity issues.
Conclusion
While the prospect of earning another $10,000,000 by repeating the original Criminal Mastermind is enticing, the one-time reward is a core part of its exclusivity. The achievement is designed to be a unique and difficult challenge that players strive to accomplish just once, making it a major milestone within the game. While you can replay heists for fun and money, that original Criminal Mastermind can not be earned twice on the same character. Focus on other Criminal Mastermind challenges in the Doomsday Heist if you’re looking for a similarly challenging experience and reward, but remember, each of those are one-time for each character as well. Always remember that coordination, communication, and a well-prepared team are crucial for success in any heist, particularly the Criminal Mastermind challenges.