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What Happens When You Complete GTA V Story Mode?

Completing the story mode in Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) marks a significant milestone, but it doesn’t mean the game is over. After the credits roll, Los Santos and Blaine County remain fully explorable, offering a wealth of activities and opportunities beyond the main storyline. Essentially, the world opens up even further, allowing you to delve into the many facets of the game that you might have missed. While the narrative concludes, the gameplay continues, providing endless possibilities for mayhem, exploration, and earning (more) virtual cash. You can still play as the surviving characters (all three if you chose the ‘Deathwish’ ending) and experience the open world.

Exploring Post-Story Los Santos

The primary change after completing the story is the freedom to explore the sprawling map at your own pace. No longer are you bound by missions; instead, you’re free to discover hidden locations, participate in random events, and stumble upon unique encounters. This is a great time to revisit places you might have briefly passed through and really get to know the varied environment.

Activities and Opportunities

Continue Side Missions: Many side missions and activities become available, or are still available, after the main story concludes. These can be anything from completing Strangers and Freaks missions to indulging in hobbies like golf, tennis, or stock car racing.
Explore Hidden Locations: GTA V’s map is packed with secrets and hidden locations, ranging from underground tunnels to secluded beaches. Post-game is the perfect time to uncover them all.
Random Encounters: Random events throughout the map continue to occur after the story’s end, providing unpredictable moments of action and humor.
Financial Opportunities: Even though you’re likely already wealthy, there are always ways to earn more. You can still invest in the stock market, participate in street races, or even rob ATMs for some quick cash.
Character Interactions: While your main missions are complete, you can still interact with the surviving characters. Hang out with them, or, if you picked an ending where one of them died, come to terms with the consequences of your actions.

Personalizing Your Post-Game Experience

After completing the story, you can customize your experience by:

Treating Yourself: With all that cash you’ve accumulated, you can purchase vehicles, properties, and clothing to enhance your characters’ styles and abilities.
Modding the Game: If you are on PC, you can use game mods to completely change the game experience. Add new vehicles, gameplay mechanics, and even new story lines.
Trying GTA RP (Roleplay): GTA RP is a popular multiplayer experience within the game. You can find a community to create new and exciting adventures with.
Using Cheat Codes: After completing the story, if you want a less serious experience, cheat codes can add some fun chaos to your game world.

Understanding the Different Endings

It’s important to remember that the ending you choose significantly impacts your post-game experience. There are three primary endings:

Ending A (Kill Trevor): If you choose to kill Trevor, Michael and Franklin split his share of the final heist. However, Trevor is permanently gone, and you cannot use him again in that game save.
Ending B (Kill Michael): If you choose to kill Michael, his share of the final heist is given to his family, leaving you with less money and Michael’s loss in the game.
Ending C (Deathwish): This ending sees all three main characters survive and is considered the “canon” ending. It is also the only way to fully 100% the game.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)