Can You Fail Criminal Mastermind in GTA Online? A Deep Dive
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Yes, you absolutely can fail the Criminal Mastermind Challenge in Grand Theft Auto Online. It’s one of the most challenging feats in the game, and the risk of failure is a significant part of its allure. The Criminal Mastermind challenge requires exceptional teamwork, skill, and a good dose of luck. This article will thoroughly explore how you can fail, what constitutes a failure, and provide comprehensive answers to frequently asked questions related to this intense GTA Online experience.
What Constitutes a Failure in Criminal Mastermind?
The Criminal Mastermind challenge is incredibly unforgiving. The main reason players fail is due to a reset of their progress. There are primarily two core reasons for this reset:
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Player Death: The most common and devastating cause for failure is the death of any player during a setup mission or heist finale. If even one player dies during any part of the required heist sequence, the entire Criminal Mastermind progress is immediately reset to 0/26. This means you must start again, with the Fleeca Job from the very beginning.
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Heist Failure Due to Specific Circumstances: Although less common than player death, failing a heist finale in a particular manner can also result in a reset. For example, in the original heists, destroying the Buzzard helicopter during the finale is a common trigger. This means failure to finish a mission under specific mission parameters can also cause a progress reset.
Beyond these two primary causes, failing to meet specific criteria before the finales, although not a reset, will also make the attempt invalid:
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Completing missions out of order: The criminal mastermind requires that all setup missions and finales are completed in the specific order they were released. If you do any of the missions in the wrong order, your attempt is invalid and must be restarted.
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Not completing on hard mode: To complete the challenge all setups and finales must be played on Hard Difficulty, if this condition is not met you will need to restart your progress.
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Not keeping the team: The challenge requires that the same team of players must complete the challenge together from start to finish, switching team members will invalidate the progress.
How to Check if You’ve Failed
The game doesn’t always explicitly announce a failed Criminal Mastermind attempt. Therefore, it is crucial to periodically check your progress to be certain your attempt is still valid. You can check by going to:
- Pause Menu -> Stats -> Awards -> Heists. Then scroll down until you see “Criminal Mastermind”
- If your progress shows 0/26, then your challenge has been reset, and you failed.
- If your progress is still the same as before you started the last mission, then your attempt remains active.
It’s also advisable to change your outfit after each mission to trigger an auto-save. This ensures that if you do fail, the game doesn’t overwrite your last save, meaning you have a record of the reset.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Criminal Mastermind
To further clarify the nuances of the Criminal Mastermind challenge, here are 15 frequently asked questions and their detailed answers:
1. Do the Doomsday, Casino, and Cayo Perico Heists Affect Criminal Mastermind?
No, the Doomsday Heist, Diamond Casino Heist, and Cayo Perico Heist do not count towards the original Criminal Mastermind challenge. Only the original apartment heists (Fleeca, Prison Break, Humane Labs Raid, Series A Funding, and Pacific Standard) are relevant for this challenge.
2. Do All 4 Players Need to Participate in the Fleeca Job for Criminal Mastermind?
Yes, although the Fleeca job is 2 player. It is essential to split into two teams of two to complete the Fleeca job before you all join together to complete the remaining heists. This must be completed before progressing on to the other heists to be valid.
3. How Difficult is the Criminal Mastermind Challenge?
The Criminal Mastermind Challenge is widely considered the most difficult challenge in GTA Online. It requires a high level of skill, coordination, communication, and a bit of luck to avoid deaths throughout the whole challenge.
4. What is the Reward for Completing the Criminal Mastermind Challenge?
Completing the Criminal Mastermind Challenge for the original heists rewards you with a substantial bonus of GTA$1,000,000 for the four-player challenge, and GTA$750,000 for the Criminal Mastermind II. Additionally, completing the Doomsday Criminal Mastermind IV challenge yields a GTA$3,750,000 bonus, and GTA$750,000 for Criminal Mastermind II. There are also various other challenges that yield smaller bonuses.
5. Can I Do the Diamond Casino Heist While Doing Criminal Mastermind?
Yes, you can do the Diamond Casino Heist while attempting the Criminal Mastermind Challenge, but it’s essential to ensure you don’t accidentally start a setup or finale for the original heists out of sequence. You must only focus on the core 5 heists required for the challenge.
6. How Much Does the Doomsday Heist Pay?
The Doomsday Heist pays a base payout of around $4.2 – $5.25 Million, depending on difficulty and performance. This does not include the Criminal Mastermind IV bonus of GTA$3,750,000
7. Can I Complete Criminal Mastermind With Only 3 Players?
Yes, you can do Criminal Mastermind III for the Doomsday Heist with a team of 3 players, the same applies to Criminal Mastermind II which can be completed with 2 players, but for the original heists Criminal Mastermind requires a team of 4 players.
8. What are the Necessary Skills for Criminal Mastermind?
The primary skills required are excellent communication, strategy, and good team working. Having good knowledge of all the missions and being able to cooperate well, as well as exceptional shooting skills.
9. Can I Get the Criminal Mastermind Bonus More Than Once?
No, the Criminal Mastermind Bonus can only be earned once per account. If you have two characters, the award will not be available on the second character if you have already earned it on the first.
10. Can You Skip Parts of the Doomsday Criminal Mastermind?
If you’ve previously completed the challenge, you can unlock the award by completing a Doomsday setup mission. It can be any setup mission, on any difficulty. It is not possible to skip parts of the heist while attempting it for the first time.
11. Can You Do Criminal Mastermind Twice on the Same Character?
No, the Criminal Mastermind challenge can only be completed once per character. If you fail, you can’t retry with that specific character.
12. Which Heist Pays the Most in GTA Online?
The Diamond Casino Heist is the most profitable heist in GTA Online, however, the Cayo Perico Heist can be completed solo, thus is more profitable when you do not have others to play with.
13. Can the Doomsday Heist Be Played Solo?
No, the Doomsday Heist cannot be played solo. It requires a minimum of 2 players, but can also be completed with 3 or 4 players.
14. Is the Doomsday Heist the Most Difficult?
The Doomsday Heist is often regarded as the longest and most difficult set of missions to beat in GTA Online. It has three separate finales each with their own set of challenges.
15. Can You Do Cayo Perico with 4 Players?
Yes, while the Cayo Perico Heist can be done solo, it can also be completed with up to 4 players. It should be noted that you can make more profit per player by doing it alone, even though you make less total.
Conclusion
The Criminal Mastermind Challenge in GTA Online is a true test of skill, patience, and teamwork. Failing it is a painful experience, but understanding what leads to failure and how to avoid it is key to success. By adhering to the rules, communicating effectively with your team, and carefully checking your progress, you can navigate this challenging feat. This comprehensive guide, with its FAQs, should serve as a valuable resource for players who dare to take on this ultimate GTA Online challenge.